title: Representations of Domestic Violence in Pakistani Television News and Activist Campaigns: Perspectives from Journalists, Women's Rights Campaigners, and Audiences

authors: Nasir, Omer Bin

subjects: Representations of Domestic Violence in Pakistani Television News and Activist Campaigns

abstract: This thesis offers an in-depth examination of the representation of domestic violence news on television channels and in activists’ campaigns in Pakistan from the perspective of journalists, women’s rights activists, and audiences. It is a compilation of five studies; three investigate the perspectives of Pakistani television news journalists regarding representation, professional ethics, and journalistic imperatives involved in domestic violence news reporting. The fourth study examines the viewpoints of Pakistani women’s rights activists regarding domestic violence news coverage and how activist campaigns represent the issue in their efforts to highlight and prevent this kind of violence. The fifth study is centred on Pakistani audiences’ responses to news media reporting of domestic violence and materials designed to draw attention to women’s rights issues including campaigns against domestic violence. Together, these studies provide important insights into the as yet largely unexamined issue of how domestic violence is portrayed in television news and activists’ campaign materials in Pakistan. Research for this thesis was conducted using qualitative methodological approaches. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with television news journalists and women’s rights activists, and four focus groups with Pakistani television news audiences. Eleven experienced Pakistani television news journalists were interviewed to explore: how Pakistani television news media represent domestic violence; how reporting is perceived to reflect ethical practices; and which journalistic imperatives are involved in the selection of news. Five Pakistani women’s rights activists were interviewed to explore their views about domestic violence reporting in mainstream media and how they address domestic violence violence in the course of their activism. To understand audience responses to domestic violence reporting on television news and women’s rights activists’ campaigns, 22 participants (11 females and 11 males) constituting focus groups representing higher, middle, and lower socioeconomic backgrounds were recruited. All four focus groups were conducted in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The research findings demonstrate how socio-cultural factors and ethical practices shape Pakistani journalists, activists, and audience understanding of domestic violence. Even though domestic violence has been criminalised in Pakistan, television news channels do not prioritise it in primetime reporting unless the incident is particularly horrific or involves well known named individuals. The coverage is predominantly incident-based and relies on limited sources. The research findings highlighted that there are no written guidelines or training for the coverage of domestic violence. At most, journalists do not disclose the victim’s identity, though this is not consistently practised. Consent is also often bypassed and data gathering practices can be unethical. Pakistani activists and audiences were of the view that coverage of domestic violence provided by television news is limited and sensational, while Pakistani audiences expressed appreciation for women’s rights campaign materials initiating educated and transformative debate about the endemic and structural social nature of women subjugation. Women’s rights activists cited patriarchal cultural practices and an unresponsive state as factors that contribute towards the widespread abuse of women in the country, and perceive the news media to be only interested in generating controversy and ratings. This thesis identifies an urgent need to develop comprehensive ethical guidelines and training programmes for responsible reporting of domestic violence on television news channels in Pakistan. Dialogue between decision makers in television news organisations and women’s rights activists should be initiated to shift the focus of the news agenda towards promoting better awareness and understanding of the causes and consequences of domestic violence in Pakistan.

text: Representations of Domestic Violence in Pakistani Television News and Activist Campaigns: Perspectives from Journalists, Women's Rights Campaigners, and Audiences This thesis offers an in-depth examination of the representation of domestic violence news on television channels and in activists’ campaigns in Pakistan from the perspective of journalists, women’s rights activists, and audiences. It is a compilation of five studies; three investigate the perspectives of Pakistani television news journalists regarding representation, professional ethics, and journalistic imperatives involved in domestic violence news reporting. The fourth study examines the viewpoints of Pakistani women’s rights activists regarding domestic violence news coverage and how activist campaigns represent the issue in their efforts to highlight and prevent this kind of violence. The fifth study is centred on Pakistani audiences’ responses to news media reporting of domestic violence and materials designed to draw attention to women’s rights issues including campaigns against domestic violence. Together, these studies provide important insights into the as yet largely unexamined issue of how domestic violence is portrayed in television news and activists’ campaign materials in Pakistan. Research for this thesis was conducted using qualitative methodological approaches. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with television news journalists and women’s rights activists, and four focus groups with Pakistani television news audiences. Eleven experienced Pakistani television news journalists were interviewed to explore: how Pakistani television news media represent domestic violence; how reporting is perceived to reflect ethical practices; and which journalistic imperatives are involved in the selection of news. Five Pakistani women’s rights activists were interviewed to explore their views about domestic violence reporting in mainstream media and how they address domestic violence violence in the course of their activism. To understand audience responses to domestic violence reporting on television news and women’s rights activists’ campaigns, 22 participants (11 females and 11 males) constituting focus groups representing higher, middle, and lower socioeconomic backgrounds were recruited. All four focus groups were conducted in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The research findings demonstrate how socio-cultural factors and ethical practices shape Pakistani journalists, activists, and audience understanding of domestic violence. Even though domestic violence has been criminalised in Pakistan, television news channels do not prioritise it in primetime reporting unless the incident is particularly horrific or involves well known named individuals. The coverage is predominantly incident-based and relies on limited sources. The research findings highlighted that there are no written guidelines or training for the coverage of domestic violence. At most, journalists do not disclose the victim’s identity, though this is not consistently practised. Consent is also often bypassed and data gathering practices can be unethical. Pakistani activists and audiences were of the view that coverage of domestic violence provided by television news is limited and sensational, while Pakistani audiences expressed appreciation for women’s rights campaign materials initiating educated and transformative debate about the endemic and structural social nature of women subjugation. Women’s rights activists cited patriarchal cultural practices and an unresponsive state as factors that contribute towards the widespread abuse of women in the country, and perceive the news media to be only interested in generating controversy and ratings. This thesis identifies an urgent need to develop comprehensive ethical guidelines and training programmes for responsible reporting of domestic violence on television news channels in Pakistan. Dialogue between decision makers in television news organisations and women’s rights activists should be initiated to shift the focus of the news agenda towards promoting better awareness and understanding of the causes and consequences of domestic violence in Pakistan.

year: 2024

title: Development of a multispectral imaging system for apple firmness prediction

authors: Sun, Jason

abstract: Multispectral imaging has been studied in recent years as a means of assessing fruit firmness. Here we report on the development of a static multispectral imaging system (MSI) that was used to validate the potential of the technique for high-speed commercial grading. The system consists of a high-performance CMOS camera, four lasers, electronically controlled shutters and a location control system. It captures four spectral scattering images on the fruit. In this study 100 ‘Royal Gala’ apples have been measured using the static MSI. The MSI measurements were applied on the intact apple and also on a flat surface of internal flesh exposed by removing a thick skin slice. The scattering profiles were fitted with a standard light diffusion model and a heuristic modified Lorentzian model. The results showed that the correlations between penetrometer firmness and model parameters were poor, with the correlation coefficient, R, ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 in the best circumstance of the flat surface measurements. Although multivariate models can improve the correlations, this work suggests that laser scattering information on its own is not sufficient to predict the firmness.

text: Development of a multispectral imaging system for apple firmness prediction Multispectral imaging has been studied in recent years as a means of assessing fruit firmness. Here we report on the development of a static multispectral imaging system (MSI) that was used to validate the potential of the technique for high-speed commercial grading. The system consists of a high-performance CMOS camera, four lasers, electronically controlled shutters and a location control system. It captures four spectral scattering images on the fruit. In this study 100 ‘Royal Gala’ apples have been measured using the static MSI. The MSI measurements were applied on the intact apple and also on a flat surface of internal flesh exposed by removing a thick skin slice. The scattering profiles were fitted with a standard light diffusion model and a heuristic modified Lorentzian model. The results showed that the correlations between penetrometer firmness and model parameters were poor, with the correlation coefficient, R, ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 in the best circumstance of the flat surface measurements. Although multivariate models can improve the correlations, this work suggests that laser scattering information on its own is not sufficient to predict the firmness.

year: 2015

title: Understanding the context of hospital transfers and away-from-home hospitalisations for Māori

authors: Cormack, Donna

subjects: Humans

abstract: In Aotearoa New Zealand, people regularly travel away from their home to receive hospital care. While the role of whānau support for patients in hospital is critical for Māori, there is little information about away-from-home hospitalisations. This paper describes the frequency and patterning of away-from-home hospitalisations and inter-hospital transfers for Māori. Data from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), for the 6-year period of 1 January 2009-31 December 2014, were analysed. Basic frequencies, means and descriptive statistics were produced using SAS software. We found that more than 10% of all routine hospitalisations constituted an away-from-home hospitalisation for Māori; that is, a hospitalisation that was in a district health board (DHB) other than the DHB of usual residence for the patient. One quarter (25.19%) of transfer hospitalisations were to a DHB other than the patient's DHB of domicile. Away-from-home hospital admissions increase for Māori as deprivation increases for both routine and transfer admissions, with over half of Māori hospital admissions among people who live in areas of high deprivation. This analysis aids in understanding away-from-home hospitalisations for Māori whānau, the characteristics associated with these types of hospitalisations and supports the development and implementation of policies which better meet whānau Māori needs. The cumulative impact of the need to travel to hospital for care, levels of poverty and a primarily reimbursement-based travel assistance system all perpetuate an unequal cost burden placed upon Māori whānau.

text: Understanding the context of hospital transfers and away-from-home hospitalisations for Māori In Aotearoa New Zealand, people regularly travel away from their home to receive hospital care. While the role of whānau support for patients in hospital is critical for Māori, there is little information about away-from-home hospitalisations. This paper describes the frequency and patterning of away-from-home hospitalisations and inter-hospital transfers for Māori. Data from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), for the 6-year period of 1 January 2009-31 December 2014, were analysed. Basic frequencies, means and descriptive statistics were produced using SAS software. We found that more than 10% of all routine hospitalisations constituted an away-from-home hospitalisation for Māori; that is, a hospitalisation that was in a district health board (DHB) other than the DHB of usual residence for the patient. One quarter (25.19%) of transfer hospitalisations were to a DHB other than the patient's DHB of domicile. Away-from-home hospital admissions increase for Māori as deprivation increases for both routine and transfer admissions, with over half of Māori hospital admissions among people who live in areas of high deprivation. This analysis aids in understanding away-from-home hospitalisations for Māori whānau, the characteristics associated with these types of hospitalisations and supports the development and implementation of policies which better meet whānau Māori needs. The cumulative impact of the need to travel to hospital for care, levels of poverty and a primarily reimbursement-based travel assistance system all perpetuate an unequal cost burden placed upon Māori whānau.

year: 2022-11-11