Tracking the #MeToo Movement in Indian Media
India's #MeToo wave, which gained momentum in 2018, exposed sexual harassment across Bollywood, media, politics, and corporate India. But unlike its American counterpart, the movement in India has faced a persistent coverage gap. Many outlets that initially reported allegations shifted focus once advertisers or politically connected figures were implicated. The result is a patchwork of coverage where some cases receive wall-to-wall attention while others are quietly buried.
This pattern is not accidental. India's Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013, mandates Internal Complaints Committees in every workplace with 10 or more employees. Yet compliance remains dismally low — estimates suggest fewer than 30% of eligible organizations have functioning ICCs. Media coverage of this systemic gap is sparse because it does not generate the clicks that individual celebrity accusations do.
Why Balanced Coverage Matters Here
Sexual harassment stories are particularly vulnerable to media bias. Consider how differently the same allegation is covered depending on the accused person's political affiliation or industry:
- Allegations against opposition figures often receive disproportionate coverage on government-aligned outlets
- Cases involving media personalities may be downplayed by outlets with professional ties to the accused
- Corporate harassment cases are under-reported when the company is a major advertiser
What This Feed Tracks
The #MeToo Tracker feed on The Balanced News aggregates coverage of sexual harassment cases, workplace safety developments, POSH compliance updates, and gender justice movements from across the media spectrum. Our AI flags accountability indicators specifically designed to detect sexual misconduct coverage, helping you see which stories are being amplified and which are being suppressed.
For survivors and advocates, having access to how the full media landscape is covering these issues is not just informative — it is a form of accountability in itself.
