 Summary of this article
- Mainstream Indian media routinely sensationalises crimes involving women, replacing evidence-based reporting with sexualised, moralistic, and voyeuristic narratives.
- Gendered stereotypes rooted in patriarchy shape how women accused of crimes are portrayed, with character and behaviour judged more harshly than actions or facts.
- Market-driven journalism prioritises outrage, TRPs, and spectacle over accountability, reinforcing misogyny while obscuring structural and institutional failures.
Headlines such as “2G Queenpin: Radia’s Secret Role in Spectrum Loot” from India Today, “Did Rhea Drive Sushant to Suicide with Black Magic?” aired on Aaj Tak and “Rhea Chakraborty—The Femme Fatale Behind Sushant’s Demise?” published by Hindustan Times scarcely resemble newspaper reports. They could easily have appeared in lurid magazines trading in sex, scandal and sensation. Yet, all of them were published by mainstream media organisations. |
