INDIAN MEDIA FRAMINGS OF RAPE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 2012 DELHI GANG RAPE CASE: POST NIRBHAYA

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate media narratives which outlined four high profile rape cases in past three years, starting with 2012 Delhi Gang rape. By content analyzing the English and Hindi language articles of print media, I have tried to study the popular trends that are visible ad-mist the intensifying national debates surrounding the Indian women’s role and place in the republican society. Mass media is not entirely blameless as it frames out the certain beliefs like ‘rape exceptionalism’, constructions of the ‘victim’ and the ‘rapist’ and politics of the ‘blame game’ which move around these cases of sexual violence against women and girls.