Opinion: Crime and the media
Repeated exposure to violent crime-related material may make viewers desensitised to the crime or agony of others
By Ananya Saxena and Dr Garima Rajan
Crime shows have become a staple of Indian television which now routinely airs such shows. These series, which range from the grim realism of CID to the more sensationalistic fare of Crime Patrol, have caught the interest of viewers across the nation. But how truthful are these portrayals of crime? And how do they affect the way we view law and order?
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The public on-screen characters from Chulbul Pandey to ACP Pradhyuman have become household legends. These characters have been transformed into flamboyant recreations of legislative officers devoid of the typical experiences of the public. This portrayal of policemen, lawyers and judges on television holds the power to influence how people view them.
Media Criminology
This connection between emotions, attitudes and behaviour of the audience with popular media is called ‘Media Criminology’ (Ghosh, 2014). Today, it is getting increasingly difficult to separate the lines between the narrative of media and that of the audience because of the blur between fiction and nonfiction.
The repeated exposure to such violent crime-related material may make viewers desensitised to the crime or agony of others. This can be perceived as the most prevalent issue today, despite the fact that evidence does not show that every viewer will behave like a criminal. Contrarily, there is an increased chance that sensitive viewers would experience cognitive stress, anxiety and fear of victimisation. As George Gerbner pointed out, there is a possibility of exaggerating issues and treating the environment as the most dangerous setting on Earth. This phenomenon is termed as ‘Mean World Syndrome’ (Narahari & Mukherji, 2018).
Crime Thrillers
Irrespective of whether they may be fictional, non-fictional or semi-fictional, crime reality shows unearth true crime stories in a manner that is believable and that stirs up strong emotions. Savdhaan India, for example, in a series of narratives, characters represent real crime scenes as police detectives investigate them. Additionally, the scenes feature victim or family interviews, crime analysis and images of suspects. The show host then further allures the viewers with their oratory skills to dramatise the programme and pique their emotions.
A study conducted by Civic Studios in 2019 identified ‘Vigilantism’ as a common theme in Indian crime and courtroom thrillers, and frequent idealisation of extrajudicial methods of enforcing justice. This persuades audiences to endorse vigilante behaviour and fabricated police interactions in the actual world. The study examined the portrayal of the criminal justice system in India in a sample of 30 crime dramas in popular TV shows, films and OTT series between 2016 and 2019. Some of them were Pink, Jolly LL.B, Sacred Games, Crime Patrol and CID.
Results showed that character actions and conversations in these TV shows, web series and films frequently allude to diminished degrees of trustworthiness and a notion of inadequacy when discussing the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, stories that depict justice being upheld by legislative means against adversaries foster a degree of confidence in the system among viewers.
The report seeks to act as a foundation for a discussion on the necessity for more media impact research, the development of collaborations and readily available research resources for researchers and filmmakers on the judiciary and police, and the improvement of democracy through truthful stories about public agencies and civic engagement (Civic Studios, 2017).
Role of Media
Academics believe that the consumption of violent media content provokes crime and aggressive behaviour, whereas others claim that media may affect crime merely as a source of inspiration for criminal strategies and styles (copycat), not as a driving force behind crime. Examples:
● Inspired by ‘Drishyam’ (2015), a murder suspect in Delhi faked an attack on himself in July 2021 after being released from prison on parole in order to frame his neighbour.
● Seven persons, two of whom were women, were detained in August 2022 in Delhi, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of impersonating Mumbai Police officers and stealing a wellness centre at Delhi’s Netaji Subash Place Complex. According to the authorities, the suspects exploited the crime-planning scenes from ‘Special 26’ (2013), starring Manoj Bajpayee and Akshay Kumar.
As per psychologist Wayne Warburton (2014), most studies point to the viewers being desensitised to violent content, the encouragement of hostile ideas and attitudes, and an increased potential of aggressive behaviour over the short and long term when individuals are subjected to violent media.
Even while most criminologists debate that those who commit violent crimes are mainly inspired by media violence, there is little evidence suggesting the media’s impact on how some offenders commit crimes. Ray Surette, a criminal psychologist, discovered in his study of violent juvenile criminals, “about one out of three juveniles reports having considered a copycat crime and about one out of four reports actually having attempted one.” As per his finding, “young people who self-report being copycats are substantially more inclined to attribute media as both a general and personal influence” (Phillips, 2017).
Bobo Doll Experiment
Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment (1960) was one of the early experiments that sought to explain psychological motivations through observable behaviour. Children who were subjected to violent behaviour, whether in real life or on screen, responded more aggressively than children who were not exposed to that behaviour. The underlying presumption was that children acquire new skills through imitation and exposure to the world.
Indian media and films frequently portray crime in a flawed and sensationalised manner. This can result in a warped perception of reality and have detrimental consequences. The audience appeal of the new media formats has significantly changed along with how the digital transformation has altered viewing habits and audiences.
Thus, it is crucial for films and television shows with a global audience to uphold moral principles to promise fair portrayal and bring up issues that have remained unnoticed in the past for deeper scrutiny. To safeguard basic human rights, these shows have the power to influence public opinion and create emotionally charged audiences.
The public’s access to information in media has been subject to regulation on a global scale, particularly by criminal justice systems. According to several judiciary systems, including that of India, each party’s right to expression does not include engaging in systemic contempt. Hence, it is necessary to ascertain whether the court systems’ purpose for restricting media freedom corresponds to how they interpret the impact of media on these systems (Ríos, 2018).
