In this fashionable world, media is considered to be a de facto source of information. Media communicate every small detail incidents to the general public hence maintaining their interest. Crime news are the most sensitive issues in the society. Hence media plays a very vital role in communicating the information from the source to the general public hence upholding the empathy for the vistims. For increasing their TRP in the market, media highlights the most atrocious crimes with a huge interest. Also reports have shown that mostly rape or other sort of violence against women (VAW) is viewed as result of incompetence of government, police and that of justice system rather than of conditions in society as a whole . There are trenchant talk of harder punishments and vindictiveness but rarely of criminal reforms or societal reforms. In this scenario public isn’t left with much choice but to perceive criminal as threat to society and in want of tougher punishment for them. In the given study we have taken variable such as economic status, education level, gender, exposure to both new and conventional media etc. to decode public support for tougher punishments in violence against women and its dependence on coverage of the event by media (new and conventional).
One of the objectives of the study is also to study is there’s difference in perception of crimes and punishment among audiences of new and conventional media?
Key words: Violence against women, Public opinion, Media coverage, Social awareness
|
