This episode explores story of sexual harassment across workplaces, examining power, silence, accountability, and the everyday experiences of women while asking what meaningful change looks like beyond policies and promises.
Credits: This episode was hosted by Ruth David Solomon and reportage was done by Riya and Tom Simon. It was edited by Riya, Tom and Guru Aditya and illustrated by Vernika Singh. Signature tune by Prof Ananthu.
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[00:00:17] Welcome to 4C Radio. We are broadcasting from the central campus of Christ University, Bengaluru. 4C Radio is brought to you by the Department of Media Studies, Christ University. For all those who are looking for a platform that focuses on communities, commons, climate and communication, this is the place to be. What's more, this station is run by a diverse community of students and dedicated faculty members.
[00:00:43] Tune in to experience hard-hitting interviews, fat chicks and myth-busting, on-ground stories, campus news and more. In this episode, we explore sexual harassment, workplace discrimination and gender power structures within Indian newsrooms.
[00:01:07] While journalism plays a key role in holding institutions accountable, questions remain about accountability within the media industry itself. India does have legal frameworks addressing workplace harassment, but experiences across newsrooms suggest that policy and practice do not always align. Student Journalists Rhea and Tom Seidman report on this critical issue.
[00:01:33] Newsrooms are often imagined as progressive spaces, environments that challenge injustice and amplify marginalized voice. But they are also workplace, and like all workplaces, they reflect the larger society they exist within. To understand this better, we begin with the experience of journalism intern who has requested anonymity.
[00:01:59] For ethical reasons, her story is being voiced by another integer. It was her very first day on field assignment, a mock emergency drill. A crowded space filled with police personnel, multiple news groups and live coverage teams. She had no press ID card, no official letter, no camera. She was asked to report using only her phone.
[00:02:28] I didn't yet have an ID card from my organization, an official letter or camera, or like even basic reporting equipment. And I was just told to do the reportage with my phone. And it was very crowded. A lot of news organizations, police and live coverage was happening. I was new and I did not have much guidance on how to do this.
[00:02:55] And while I was filming, a male cameraman from other organization physically pushed me aside. And one of them hit me on the chest and said, you can't be here. You're just an intern. And you don't even have a camera. And you're a girl. This isn't for you. And at that moment, I felt very uncomfortable, very unsafe. But it was my job. I had to stay there. I had to continue recording because I didn't know what else to do.
[00:03:23] Silence in professional spaces is often mistaken for resilience. But for many young journalists, silence is survival. We asked her if this experience changed how she saw herself in journalism. It was discouraging, but I did not let it stop me. Over time, I gained confidence and I published several articles for their organization. And I did learn a lot during that internship.
[00:03:50] However, me being silent itself was heavy on me. I realized how many, the amount of young women who are out there, who are very vulnerable, especially in high pressure situations, like in reporting spaces, who does not have structural support. Her experience rises critical questions. Should interns be sent to cover major public events without identification or membership?
[00:04:21] What responsibilities do news organizations have towards young journalists? Looking back, she believes practical changes are necessary. Before an intern begins proper field work, they should be given an official offer letter and an ID card, verification that they are working for this organization.
[00:04:45] And I feel like no intern should be sent to cover a major event on the first day without any equipment or identification or guidance because we're still learning, right? And if it's the first assignment, as I said, a senior journalist should accompany them to guide and support. Interns are new and they might not fully understand how to navigate high pressure situations or crowds or something like that.
[00:05:12] And newsrooms must also ensure that interns are given that required equipment. And most importantly, if something uncomfortable or inappropriate happens, there should be a safe and confidential space to report it. I understand that on the first day someone might feel lost or unsure or might be still processing that what happened. But speaking up even privately can make a difference.
[00:05:38] Gender challenges in journalism do not end at the internship level. We spoke to our senior journalist, Azifa Fatima about representation within newsroom leadership. I think it's an established fact that women are underrepresented, especially in senior editorial positions and there are a lot of studies which are happening.
[00:06:01] And I mean, definitely it would affect the decisions on stories, assignments and newsroom culture especially. I mean, without diverse leadership, some voices and perspectives never, you know, come out or it is always sideline. And increasing representation at leadership levels especially is crucial to, you know, shaping more inclusive reporting.
[00:06:26] And when you work in a newsroom that has diverse representation, we do feel this difference in the way that we see a story, in the way our perspective changes. Everything changes when you have a diverse newsroom, especially where you have people from diverse identities in leadership positions.
[00:06:46] Editor Anusha Revisu explains how gender influences even the process of sourcing stories, especially in political reporting. Approaching people in positions of power itself is a big challenge for anybody. For women, it is two problems. So, either the sources still live very much in a patriarchal society. Okay.
[00:07:14] Thankfully, everything is not, not everyone is the same. But more often than not, women are immediately reduced to their looks on the onset, primarily. How you look, how you dress, how do you speak sweetly, do you speak authoritatively. Naturally, any, anybody with a semblance of assertion is very quickly written off as either arrogant or as bossy. And anybody who's trying to understand things is written off as ignorant and silly or stupid even at times. Okay.
[00:07:44] And I'm sure, I'm sure men in the field have their own challenges, but women pretty much when you approach sources itself. And there is an other side to this and that thing. So, most often they're not people in positions of power or in political parties, bureaucrats, anyone. So, when it's women reporters, either they immediately judge them for their gender, for their looks, etc. Or the other way around, they become extremely cautious, extremely careful, especially male sources,
[00:08:11] become extremely cautious because they do not want to be misconstrued. They do not want to be in a position where it is awkward for them or for the female reporter. All of this impacts your story development. We asked what institutional changes newsrooms must prioritize. Definitely, newsroom leaders can create a more aware newsroom where it's just a matter of having a conversation about why,
[00:08:41] what things make women reporters uncomfortable, whether it comes from a place of prejudice or convention or simply lack of awareness. Within the newsroom, that is perhaps the first thing you do. The second thing that you do in a newsroom is start acknowledging stories that require more women reporters to do the job. For example, there are a lot of rural reporting in India, you would understand.
[00:09:06] It's very difficult for a male journalist to sit down and talk to women, young women in a rural setup in India. So, when I'm telling you about the challenges that women journalists may have, there are also challenges that male journalists have. Especially this has been my experience. So, for women journalists, as I have seen, bring far better nuance from the unspoken marginalized communities, including women specifically.
[00:09:33] So, having more stories that bring those voices will actually bring a lot of balance to the newsroom. But beyond the newsroom, there is actually very little that newsroom leaders can do. It's just society as a whole, you have to be a little more open to the idea that women are here, they're not going to go away anywhere. And the society just must get used to it. And women too must not be deterred by some hiccups they may encounter.
[00:10:00] And always look at the larger picture. Your goal of having a very bright and right career is far more important than responding to a fool who you can't educate. Anya Rajendra describes the newsroom as a micro-cousing of society. If society is patriarchal, the newsroom inevitably carries those patterns too. I think that is definitely a change which has happened.
[00:10:29] At least in the English media space, I can say that both in print, television, it has changed. Initially, a lot of women used to be either in entertainment, in health, etc. In newspapers. Today, most newspapers have women as political beat reporters. We have many newspapers where women lead political bureaus. Women lead external affairs bureaus. Crime, I still don't know if women have broken into that beat a lot.
[00:10:59] But as far as politics, sports, you know, a segment where women were largely kept out of other than just looking impeccably beautiful and announcing it as an anchor. I think sports, politics, entertainment and business. These are four arenas where women have really topped in the last decade and broken all kinds of glass ceilings. But I'm not sure if that is the case in regional media.
[00:11:25] And we should not forget that English media is only a tiny fraction of what Indian media actually is. Therefore, I don't know if the case is the same. Let's say if you take Telugu or Kannada, there are not too many women reporters I see on the field reporting on politics or business. So when we say change in India, it can't be just about English. Even Hindi, I'm not aware. Hindi is also a large media business, right?
[00:11:52] So I'm not sure the change is in all languages, but definitely in English we can see it. Beyond institutional culture, there are legal protections. Advocate Christie Oasis explained the protection of women and sexual harassment acts, commonly known as the POSH or POSH.
[00:12:11] Every organization which has 10 people, 10 women candidates or employers, they have to have a Vishaka committee. Vishaka committee is again ICC, internal complaint committee has to be formed, addressed and any women who has been ragged or what you call harassed,
[00:12:38] has to complain to her own employer. If the employer is at the same, he is doing that, she can go to the higher authority. And here now recently there is a Supreme Court judgment. If there are two organizations involved and one employee is harassed by the other employer, she doesn't have to go to that company and complain.
[00:13:08] She can do the complaint, file a complaint in her own organization. They will look into it. And we have this she box where online we can complain. We don't have to, sometimes it's very risky and the women who complain is made to resign. Or citing some other reason, she is told to terminate or compelled to just go out of that organization.
[00:13:36] So what happens is there is a whistleblower. She is the whistleblower. She has to go out. So now all those are restricted. She can file a complaint and she can take legal help outside the company also. Across these conversations, one theme emerges clearly. Process exists. But process is uneven. Politics exists. But enforcement varies. Representation has improved.
[00:14:05] But leadership gaps remain. Young interns continue to enter newsrooms with ambitions. But without always being guaranteed safety. Journalism demands accountability from governments, corporations and institutions. But accountability must also begin at home. Ensuring safety, dignity and equal opportunity within media organizations is not separate from journalism's mission. It is central to it.
[00:14:35] Because a newsroom that does not protect its own cannot fully claim to protect the public's interest. Thank you for listening to this podcast. As always, stay curious and tune in for more. This episode was hosted by Root David Solomon with research and reportage by Tom Simon and Rhea Titi.
[00:15:03] It was edited by Guru Aditya, Tom and Rhea and illustrated by Varnika Singh. Please write to us and follow us on X, Instagram and LinkedIn.