Role Played By Converging Media In Fast-Tracking The Prosecutions Of Dec. 16th, 2012 Delhi Gang-Rape Case

Abstract

Converging media refers to integration of distinct media of creating,  sharing, accessing and consuming information with shared interface.  Technological convergence has steered the blending of old media, such  as newspapers and radio, with the new forms of media like online  communication, while offering the advantages of both. The growth in  digital communications has not only facilitated the enhanced  interaction among masses but it has also provided a platform for news  organizations to reach a wider audience with increased swiftness. Such  a platform proved to be an influencing means of aid for December 16th,  2012 Delhi gang-rape case proceedings. The exclusive inclusion of both  national and foreign media in this unfortunate incident inspired a whole  generation to stand together for women's rights and more stringent laws  regarding women’s safety. Converging media not only restrained itself  to just tracking the case, rather it led the individuals to introspect by  bringing the incident to global attention. This incident unlocked the  pathway to use social media for sharing information and mustering the  needed support for a given cause. The unison of people, owing to the  various means of communication offered by the converging media,  exerted an inevitable societal pressure which commanded accelerated  hearings and trials related to the case, evidently resulting in deliverance  of swift justice. The objective of the present study is to review the  inducing role played by various resources of converging media in  covering as well as triggering the onset of fast-tracking the prosecutions  of December 16th, 2012 gang-rape case.