Paper Details

LGBTQ+ people and communities have a rich history documented in Indian literature. However, as of the middle of the twenty-first century, news about the LGBTQ+ community has not received much attention or discussion in public. Consequently, there is a significant amount of information that needs to be shared with the public to address this knowledge gap. One of the fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution is the right to live with human dignity. Since the media plays an educational role, it bears the responsibility to inform the public about the presence of the LGBTQ+ community, using inclusive language and focusing on their fundamental rights. The Press Council of India issued guidelines for inclusive LGBTQ+ reporting in August 2023. The frequency with which the media reports on LGBTQ+ people and issues is crucial, as it indicates how often and consistently the public encounters this community. To analyze and assess the current state of coverage and language, this study selected three widely read Indian newspapers: The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and Indian Express. This study focused on the months of September, October, and November 2023, which are three months after the guidelines were published. This study demonstrated that the media hasn't entirely adhered with the guidelines, as evidenced by the 30% of offensive terms found in well-known newspaper dailies. This suggests that the media still needs to exercise greater sensitivity and conduct thorough study on the guidelines.

LGBTQ+ community, Inclusive Language, Media, content analysis, newspaper dailies.