Violence on Television
The
monitoring study was jointly conducted by a group of researchers in close
association with an audience panel. The researchers were involved in designing
the project which included determining sample size, evolving the monitoring
format, and the methodology for tabulation and analysis.
The
audience panel provided quantitative and qualitative feedback. The panel
consisted of nine young viewers (18-25 years old: 4 male and 5 female). The
monitors were given a pre-tested format, which ensured both quantitative and
qualitative data-collection. The monitoring was done while the programmes were
actually being aired. To that extent, the responses of the panel members were
spontaneous and those of the average viewer rather than the deliberate scrutiny
of a researcher. However, the research team rechecked the consistency of the
data.
Quantitative
Findings
In
all, there were 759 distinct acts of violence across the 5 channels over a
period of nine days.
In proportion to the hours monitored Zee had the highest acts of violence and
DD1 had the lowest.
|
|
Channel |
Acts |
|
|
Zee |
365 |
|
|
STAR |
188 |
|
|
DD2 |
80 |
|
|
Sony |
64 |
|
|
DD1 |
62 |
Types of
Violence
·
In all 59 types of violence, both audio and visual, both
physical and psychological were identified. Of these threats, slapping,
screaming, shooting, assaulting, expletives, pushing, clobbering, stabbing,
mental torture, eerie soundtracks, threatening music are extremely prominent.
These categories of violence account for over 50 per cent of the total acts
depicted. Hence much of the violence is explicit and graphic.
·
Some depictions of violence are unnecessarily lengthy.
·
Nearly one-third of the depictions (283 acts out of a total
of 759 acts) appeared in 25 per cent or 21 out of 81 episodes monitored. These
21 episodes were in the genre of horror/ murder/ mystery/ suspense thrillers.
·
Some of these serials are often the most violent or
disturbing - especially for children. For example: X-Zone and Anhonee (Zee)
together had 118 or 53 and 65 acts of violence respectively; Aahat (Sony) had
13 acts of violence; Kohra (STAR Plus) had 30 acts of violence in a single
episode
The remaining two-third acts are depicted in the 60
episodes of drama serials monitored. In fact, family drama serials or
programmes specifically targetting children are no less violent. In a single
episode of the serial Gumraah there were 32 acts, while there were 17 acts of
violence in the child-specific Shaktimaan.
Part II