The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Electronic media urged to protect privacy of women

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Monday, Mar 31, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Electronic media urged to protect privacy of women

Special Correspondent

— Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

ACHIEVER: V. Krishnamurthy, chairman, National Manufacturers’ Competitiveness Council (second from right), presenting the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Award to Vijay Xavier, associate vice-president, Lowe Worldwide, for the best advertisement published in Tamil print media in 2007 in Chennai on Sunday. Advocate Geetha Ramaseshan and Kalki Rajendran are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Advocate Geetha Ramaseshan on Sunday appealed to the electronic media to protect the privacy of women and children while dealing with sensitive issues.

Delivering the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Lecture on “Depiction of women in media and advertising,” she said the electronic media, in its hunger for sensation, often forgot the individual’s right to privacy. Uncomfortable questions were asked or a person’s snapshot telecast without any concern about the impact it might have on the person.

“Everyone needs privacy, perhaps, the ordinary person more so than a film star. There has to be a clear distinction while dealing with incidents that involve women and children,” she said.

She urged the electronic media to focus on the crux of an issue instead of unduly introducing gender perspective while dealing with national and sensitive issues.

Noting that some of the television talk shows were judgmental and depressing, Ms. Ramaseshan was critical of television serials that portrayed women in a wrong perspective. “The image of women [as shown on television] is not completely in tune with reality and events. More often, she is depicted as making wrong decisions and tolerant of all sorts of violence against her.”

Though they brought out many positive images, many advertisement agencies used boys for making a powerful statement, while girls were used to market every other consumer product under the sun.

In his presidential address, V. Krishnamurthy, chairman, National Manufacturers’ Competitiveness Council, said the young generation should learn about networking and teamwork, practised by stalwarts such as Kalki Sadasivam, M.S. Subbulakshmi and Kalki Krishnamurthy, to promote good causes.

Mr. Krishnamurthy presented the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Award to Lowe Worldwide for the best advertisement in the Tamil print media during 2007 and distributed two scholarships of Rs. 5,000 each.

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