Media Misworks

Sushant case: media trial impacts investigation, says HC https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/sushant-case-media-trial-can-affect-probe-says-hc/article33600567.ece   he Bombay High Court on Monday held that a media trial interferes with administration of justice and could lead to obstructing investigation and administration of justice. The court, referring to the print and electronic coverage following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, said this amounts to criminal contempt.

https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/rhea-chakraborty-media-lynching-sushant-singh-rajput-cbi-closure-report#read-more 

https://frontline.thehindu.com/dispatches/media-trial-as-seen-in-sushant-singh-rajputs-case-amounts-to-contempt-of-court-bombay-high-court/article33601707.ece  

 As per a LiveLawreport, the bench, while advising that coverage be informative and of public interest, held that “media trial [that happens after judicial proceedings begin] interferes with administration of justice and hence amounts to 'contempt of court' as defined under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.”

In disposing of PILs seeking regulation of media trials in the backdrop of the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, the bench laid down guidelines by pronouncing them in open court. Chief among them, it held that the Press Council of India’s guidelines on crime reporting be made applicable to broadcast media as well

 How Sushant Singh Rajput case was twisted for political gains  https://youtu.be/bn3p6tEEjs8?t=205 Let Me Explain Mar 31, 2025  In the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, journalism on news channels sank to a new low. Anchors morphed into self-styled crusaders, filling primetime with relentless speculation. Conspiracy theories spiraled out of control. Five years later, the Central Bureau of Investigation confirmed Rajput’s death was a suicide, absolving his then girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty of all charges. 

In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna examines how the media exploited the tragedy and with no proof, vilified Rhea Chakraborty, branding her a gold-digger, manipulator, and drug supplier, and accusing her of pushing Rajput to suicide. She also dissects how BJP leaders politicised the tragedy, and how vital conversations on mental health were silenced.

https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/rhea-chakraborty-media-lynching-sushant-singh-rajput-cbi-closure-report   Before the legal system could do its job, social media had already pronounced Rhea guilty. Hashtags like #JusticeForSSR were weaponized to paint a narrative. Among the loudest voices were now BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut. An independent woman herself, she called Rhea a ‘gold digger’. Pradeep Bhandari, a former journalist and now a BJP figure, played a key role in this smear campaign. He, along with his former boss, hounded Rhea and her family, claiming to ‘fight for justice.’  News anchor Navika Kumar, who once boasted about possessing ‘bags full of evidence,’ c couldn’t provide any to the CBI. 

Hounded and not guilty: A Bollywood media trial blows up in smoke  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygd3w1l77o  She was slut-shamed and spent 27 days in prison after a hate-filled vicious media campaign in 2020 alleged she had been involved in the death of her actor boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput.

Beyond the outrage: Media coverage of Kolkata rape-murder case has many blind spots https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/08/22/beyond-the-outrage-media-coverage-of-kolkata-rape-murder-case-has-many-blind-spots  Kalpana Sharma 22 Aug, 2024 Proximity and relevance to a media market continue to determine what sexual crimes get detailed coverage.

the task of sifting fact from fiction becomes even more difficult for journalists reporting on this case. The obfuscation by the hospital authorities has added additional hurdles in obtaining verified information. And the conflicting narratives put out by the warring political groups have only added to the confusion. 

The real tragedy of the shifting focus of media reporting, which is now on the hospital authorities and their inaction, is that the central issue of the safety of women professionals at the workplace has become almost incidental. The protestors have not forgotten and continue to highlight it. But the media’s gaze has shifted.