Are the Wings of the Butterfly Still?: Indian News Reports on Christchurch Terror Attack; By Asma Ma

Article No. 34/2019

October 25, 2019

Seven months have passed since the Christchurch mosque killings in New Zealand, which was the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history. A New Zealand High Court’s announcement on September 12 2019 stated that the original court date for trial of the shooter has been delayed, due to it coinciding with Ramzan next year. At this juncture, the March 15 attack may seem like a distant memory to some Indians, amidst the constant flow of other breaking news headlines pouring in since. This deluge of information can be compared to white noise, especially during the immediate aftermath of the attack. Similar to white noise, the influx of new information can make existing crucial news take a backseat. Without a doubt, new events have to be reported. However the question arises on what information to prioritize when reporting, specifically in the immediate time period after such devastating incidents. Moreover the language of reporting denotes the prioritization factor as well.

The Christchurch attack is a clear case in point. Most Indian newspaper headlines at the time, chose to use words like ‘gunman’, ‘deranged’ and ‘lone wolf’, to describe the shooter. Significantly, India was then a recent victim of the terror attacks at Pulwama. A contrast is noted in few Indian media publications that covered the attack, wherein the words ‘terror’ and ‘terrorist’ were used. It is unsettling to recall that Indian television news channels hardly gave the New Zealand attack intensive coverage, unlike other ‘breaking news’ reports.

These Indian media patterns are not restricted to the Christchurch mosque shooting. Furthermore the trends are not limited to India. A cross continental phenomenon is brewing, with the wings of the metaphorical butterfly staying still, and disinformation via omission prevailing in the actions of certain sections of the media.

Such silence amidst crucial ongoing developments does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, there is room for extreme right-wing ideas to circulate more freely among the public. It is granted that in the present-day world, where mass media space is a valuable commodity and a profit generating enterprise, there will be tendencies to adopt a particular stance. But a query is raised on whether it is justified that some Indian media houses, by ‘freeing up’ space that could be devoted to all-round reporting, instead give singular focus to populist leanings and decibel-rich television hosts and speakers.

Some readers may ask this writer on why the emphasis is only on the New Zealand attack, when India itself is no stranger to terrorism. One could respond that there was nothing new to be added to the discussions post the Pulwama attack. The writer’s pen was silent then because its ink was no different than that of other Indians. There has been plenty of discourse in India on 14/2 (Pulwama, India), 9/11 (United States), 26/11 (Mumbai, India) or 21/4 (Sri Lanka). What remains an issue of concern is that the ink on 15/3 is not flowing freely and uniformly from the Indian media. This is despite the fact that several Indians were victims of the attack.

There may be counter arguments that the media is mostly reflecting a majoritarian perspective. In this case, a top down approach is not the only solution. There is a plethora of current affairs websites, blogs and social media avenues which promotes a parallel voice. Bringing them to the mainstream, to substantiate but not replace the existing media reporting, is the need of the hour. On another note, peace education is a new concept in the country that has to be replicated across all educational boards. It may indirectly help tackle the issue of media silence, by inculcating values of tolerance and objectivity among the next generations.

In conclusion-

People are fiction.

With their voice distorted by silence;

Indeed, people are fiction

And most storytellers- the kingmakers of reality.

(Asma Masood is a Chennai-based researcher on international relations. The views expressed in this article are the author's own.)