Ashley Chisamba filed her complaint with the MCC over an article published by The Mirror on 15-21 January 2016 headlined, ‘Gutu RDC CEO’s wife in court for kidnapping’.
The complainant states that she is concerned:
⦁ Over the usage of semi-nude images of the woman who was assaulted – with the second picture allegedly showing the victim scantily clad and with more bruises on her breasts and chest
⦁ That the report is sexist and biased as there is little or limited coverage of the man who was allegedly involved in the adultery and extra marital affair reported in the article
⦁ That the pictures are not in line with the heading of the story and are also portraying women negatively
Status: Finalised
The parties in their submissions to the MCC indicated the issues outlined below
The Mirror had submitted that:
⦁ The pictures were taken with the consent of the complainant in the court case, Vaida Chiripanyanga. The Mirror says Chiripanyanga has also informed the publication that she is happy with the publicisation of the pictures.
⦁ Vaida’s lawyers have also praised The Mirror “… for the investigative story and the pictures as these have turned the course of the court case”.
⦁ The story is a court case and the man who committed adultery is mentioned only twice in the court papers. Professionally The Mirror cannot go beyond what is provided in the court papers and proceedings as that will be contempt of court.
⦁ The pictures are at the core of the story. The court papers do not show that the woman in question was stabbed but the doctor’s report states that Chiripanyanga has several stab wounds. The pictures were therefore taken to reinforce the position given by the doctor.
The complainant Ashley Chisamba responds:
⦁ It is commendable that The Mirror’s coverage of the story has resulted in more investigations on the case as indicated by the newspaper.
⦁ That it is however imperative for The Mirror as a media house to note that the effects of the story go beyond those immediately affected by it. Subsequently even though the newspaper states that Vaida Chiripanyanga is “happy” with the pictures and that they were merely showcased to reinforce the doctors report, it is still ethically wrong.
⦁ The Mirror has a greater responsibility to report in a way that does not directly or indirectly perpetuate negative stereotypical attitudes that portray women as sex objects particularly through nudity – and that there is need to consider other means of reinforcing positions through always keeping in mind the effects that images and reporting have on the wider society, as well as the ethical responsibilities that influence public opinion and practice.
⦁ That The Mirror also had a responsibility to report in a way that does not directly or indirectly perpetuate negative stereotypical attitudes that may portray women as sex objects particularly through nudity – and that there was need to consider other means of reinforcing positions through always keeping in mind the effects that images and reporting have on the wider society , as well as the ethical responsibilities that influence public opinion and practice.
The Mirror also had a responsibility to go a step further and investigate instead of merely reciting court records and justifying unbalanced / unfair reportage.
The MCC’s Dertemination
The MCC in its assessment noted that The Mirror did not err in its giving limited publicity to the man involved in the story as the newspaper’s reportage was a reflection of court proceedings and that the focus of the article was the kidnapping of the photographed woman, Vaida Chiripanyanga.
While the MCC did not find anything objectionable to the publicisation of Chiripanyanga’s back on the first page of the newspaper, the committee found the exposure of Chiripanyanga’s breasts (to demonstrate bruises suffered) on page 2 objectionable on the grounds of being gender insensitive and bordering on immorality and pornography especially for a family newspaper such as The Mirror.
The newspaper was therefore cautioned to refrain from reportage or publication of images that unduly perpetuate stereotypes about women or contribute to the objectification of women or their bodies.
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