The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) has slammed several Tamil channels for their ‘paparazzi-style’ coverage of the incident at the Big Bull lounge, a Chennai bar, earlier this week. NWMI further pointed out that the coverage amounts to sexual harassment. The Tamil media outlets Thanthi Tv, Polimer News and News Tamil 24*7 had misrepresented a scuffle at the bar caused by inebriated men on the night of the cricket World Cup final. Further, the camerapersons and reporters had turned on the women at the bar, hounding and shaming them for drinking and for their clothes.
Responding to the coverage, NWMI has said, “Not only was the incident misreported, women at the bar were sexually harassed, shamed and hounded by the camerapersons of Thanthi Tv, Polimer News and News Tamil 24*7, operating in paparazzi style. The reports aired the following morning focused largely on shaming the women for their attire and for drinking. Coverage of this kind can only be described as sexual harassment. The onus for this lies with the respective editors-in-chief of the three media outlets who have allowed, if not encouraged, lewd and sexualised reportage on their channels.”
NWMI further said that it is “alarming and condemnable that none of these channels have so far acknowledged the misreporting and sexual harassment of multiple women who happened to be at the location that evening. Nor have they apologised for violating the privacy of the women, for attempting to broadcast their identities without their consent, and for hounding them with cameras while yelling obscene questions at them.”
Establishing what really happened that night NWMI also said, “The channels claimed initially that the bar had been ‘raided’ by the police for defying noise limits and the mandated closing time in Tamil Nadu. This is contrary to the truth of what actually transpired. Investigation has revealed that the incident began with a scuffle between inebriated men who wanted to enter the bar and the staff of Big Bull Lounge on 19 November, the night of the World Cup final. The men were denied entry as they had arrived too late. When they attempted to force their way in, the bar staff phoned the police. Incensed by this, the men called a friend in the media and soon multiple news channels arrived on the spot. This scuffle has been documented on the CCTV cameras of the bar which NWMI has viewed. A cameraperson from News Tamil 24*7 is also visible in this footage.”
In lieu of the wrongful reporting and harassment of the women at the bar, NWMI has demanded that, “Thanthi Tv, Polimer News and News Tamil 24*7 – issue public statements of apology to the victims of their unacceptable and unethical behaviour. They must also publicly acknowledge their misrepresentation of events and apologise for failing to comply with journalistic standards and ethics. A few of the offensive and slanderous videos have now been taken down but some reports still remain publicly accessible. We demand that all content, including social media posts and videos, relating to this sordid incident are taken down immediately, without any further delay.”
Also read:
Chennai pub incident: FIR against News Tamil 24*7 crime reporter, 5 others
How women became the target in a case of vengeance against a Chennai pub
Women in Chennai pub chased, shamed, and moral policed by news channels