The role of social media in preventing violence against women
The role of social media in preventing violence against women Media old and new has always strived towards the goal of betterment of society and in this endeavor it has strengthened various social movements that have gripped the society from time to time by extensive reporting. Issues such as corruption, inequality, rights of the underprivileged etc have always been championed by it. Today media finds itself at the spearhead of the movement fighting for the rights of women and gender equality. Media in general and journalist in particular are playing a great role by not just finding stories that depict the epidemic nature of the violence women are facing today but also telling them well - with the latter part being a crucial aspect. Conventional media faces many challenges in their efforts as they try to find humane sides to the stories, discover new ways of telling them to make them more compelling and also simultaneously abstain from sensationalisation. New media on the other hand offers unprecedented opportunities via the social media to raise awareness about violence against women so as to make the society and communities safe and social networking safer. The various faces of the social media like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube etc enjoy a host of advantages over the conventional media. They are easily accessible, inexpensive, instantaneous in delivering the message, have a global reach, provide a platform for discussion and these are but just to name a few of its pros/1. Social media also provides anonymity to the user which allows the victims to communicate without revealing their identity. And in societies such as India where the women bear the onus of holding the honor of the family on their shoulders it is not easy for even the most modern and forward of women to speak up publicly and accept the violence they have suffered, be it physical or mental, within the confines of the homes or on the streets ( Pandey Avinash 2013). Another advantage