Every time a tragedy strikes, media crews swarm the scene like spectators, not reporters. They speculate, provoke, sensationalise, and in the process, rob grieving families of their dignity. This is not news. This is exploitation.

We saw it in the aftermath of the A171 crash. Cameras rolled as bodies were still being identified. Journalists asked devastated families how they felt, shoved mics into faces of those in shock, broadcast grief like it was breaking news. And just days later, in the Shefali Jariwala case, media houses had already started drawing conclusions, spinning narratives, and planting suggestions—long before any official word had come in. No family deserves to have their worst moment turned into a national circus.

The pattern isn’t new. After Sushant Singh Rajput’s tragic death, wild conspiracy theories spread like wildfire. Channels ran mock crime re-enactments. Emotional manipulation, fake “breaking news,” and round-the-clock speculations over his personal life dominated every platform. There was no pause for facts. There was no respect for those left behind. The same happened after Sidharth Shukla’s sudden passing. Within hours, his private life, friendships, and mental health were being dissected in full public view.

What are the consequences for these media houses? Practically none. The Press Council of India has clear guidelines forbidding the intrusion of privacy, the glorification or speculation around suicide, and the broadcasting of distressing visuals. Yet those rules are violated repeatedly. Recreating suicide scenes. Filming family members crying. Harassing doctors and neighbours for comments. And now, even individuals with mobile cameras believe they can act like unregulated media, going live from cremation grounds and hospital lobbies.

This is not journalism. This is a collective failure of empathy, ethics, and accountability. And it has real-world impact. Families are retraumatised. Young audiences absorb misinformation. Mental health is trivialised. The dead are robbed of their dignity and the living of their right to grieve in peace.

Where are the boundaries? Who enforces them? Why are grieving families left alone to protect their loved one’s memory from media violation?

This video is not about a single case. It is about all of us. It is a call to demand ethics in reporting. To say no to the TRP economy built on tragedy. To restore basic humanity in how we speak about death, loss, and grief.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe
Jai Hind

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The post TRP IN TRAGEDY appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

As the nation grapples with the horrifying Air India AI171 tragedy that claimed 241 lives, including 75 medical students and entire families, a parallel tragedy unfolded—this time not in the skies but on the ground, in front of cameras. It wasn’t caused by mechanical failure or misjudgment in flight. It was the media, and its complete breakdown of empathy, discretion, and basic human decency.

Within minutes of the crash, major news outlets had stationed themselves outside hospitals, homes, and morgues. Reporters shoved microphones into the faces of grieving parents. Cameras zoomed in on sobbing children. There was no pause, no silence, no respect. The pain of others was converted into a spectacle. Families barely able to stand were asked, “How do you feel?” while red tickers flashed across screens pushing “exclusive coverage.”

This is not journalism. This is emotional exploitation. Somewhere along the way, chasing TRPs seems to have replaced every remaining shred of ethics in large parts of the media. And the cost is unbearable. People are not headlines. Grief is not content. Tragedy is not a brand story. What happened on June 12 was a national emergency, not a ratings opportunity.

India has a Press Council and basic guidelines around sensitivity. But clearly, they are not being followed. In moments of national mourning, there must be boundaries. There must be accountability for those who violate them. This is a time for facts, compassion, and silence where silence is necessary. Instead, we are witnessing newsrooms competing to see who can be more invasive, more aggressive, more insensitive.

It is unacceptable. Victims’ families should not have to defend their right to grieve in peace. Survivors should not be retraumatized by repeat loops of horrific footage. Communities should not feel like they are being watched through a lens that cares only about breaking the news first.

This isn’t the first time. We have seen this behaviour after every major disaster—flights, natural calamities, terror attacks. The same cycle repeats because there is no penalty for crossing the line. It is time for the media to introspect. It is time to revisit journalistic values rooted in humanity and dignity.

The Akancha Srivastava Foundation strongly urges all media platforms to adopt and enforce clear ethical codes of conduct during crisis coverage. Public platforms come with responsibility. Sensationalism must never be allowed to overshadow humanity. We must remind ourselves that decency is not optional. It is the foundation of a civilized society.

Let us not allow the lens of a camera to blind us to basic morality. In the pursuit of truth, let us not forget compassion.

#AkanchaSrivastavaFoundation, #MediaEthics, #AirIndiaAI171, #CrisisReporting, #HumanityFirst, #JournalismWithDignity, #TRPvsTruth, #RespectInGrief, #StopSensationalism

The post When Humanity Dies Behind the Camera appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.