Towards Ethical Journalism: Analysing Media Representation of Sex Workers
A research study by the National Network of Sex Workers (NNSW) and the Sex Workers and Allies South Asia (SWASA), released on 29 September 2026 found that media reporting on sex work in India continues to be shaped by a narrow crime-centric lens, with little distinction made between consensual adult sex work and the crime of human trafficking. This framing sidelines the voices of sex workers, who are more often portrayed as victims or criminal actors rather than as workers.
The research analysing media coverage in eight languages was conducted in the backdrop of the Supreme Court ruling in the Budhadev Karmaskar Case (May 2022), which recognised the need to uphold sex workers’ dignity and rights, and called for media reporting guidelines.
A key finding was that despite the Supreme Court’s May 2022 directive on protecting sex workers’ identities, nearly a third of stories either violated or only partially met this standard, that is, 28.4% of reports did not, or only partially, protected identity.
Another significant finding was that crime-centric framing dominates Indian media narratives on sex work. As many as 64% of stories studied framed sex work primarily as a crime; police sources dominated while sex workers’ own voices appeared in only 4% of coverage. Overall, 61% of portrayals of sex workers in the sample were negative — as criminals, victims, “vamps” or sexualised figures — against just 17% positive portrayals as workers, mothers, activists or businesswomen.
Language remains a significant vector of stigma: across the 468 print reports analysed, over half (50.4%) used stigmatising or criminalising terminology such as “prostitute,” “flesh trade” or “sex racket,” while 56.1% used at least one preferred term such as “sex worker” or “sex work.” Despite the growing use of “sex worker” and “sex work,” terms such as “prostitute” and “trade” — the latter reducing sex work to a commodity transaction — remain common.
Journalists interviewed across languages acknowledged receiving little or no formal training in appropriate terminology, relying instead on convention, deadline pressure and personal judgement.
A list of preferred terminology was generated as part of the study. These terms in English, as well as those in Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu were validated by NNSW partners.
GLOSSARY OF PREFERRED TERMINOLOGY
BENGALI
Agent/pimp: দালাল (Dalal)
Brothel: যৌন পল্লী (Jouno polli)
Business: ব্যবসা (byabsha)
Client: বাবু (babu)
Sex work: যৌন কাজ (Jouno Kaaj)
Sex worker: যৌন কর্মী (Jouno Kormi)
Sexual Provision: no direct Bengali term or phrase.
Sexual Service Providers no direct Bengali term or phrase.
Sexual service: যৌন কাজ/সার্ভিস (Jouno service)
Transgender: রূপান্তর কামী (Rupantor kami)
HINDI
Agent/pimp: एजंट/ दलाल (agent, dalal)
Brothel: धंधे का घर (dhande ka ghar)
Business: धंदा (dhanda)
Client: ग्राहक (grahak)
Sex work: धंदा, यौनकर्म (dhanda, youn karm)
Sex worker: धंदा करने वाली व्यक्ति, यौन कर्मी (dhanda karne wali vyakti, youn karmi)
Sexual service provider: लैंगिक सेवा प्रदाता (laingik seva pradata)
Sexual service provision: लैंगिक सेवा (laingik seva)
Sexual service: यौन सेवा (youn seva)
Transgender: तृतीय पंथी, किन्नर (third gender, kinnar)
KANNADA
Agent / Pimp: ಏಜೆಂಟ್ / ದಲ್ಲಾಳ (Agent, dalala)
Brothel: ಬ್ರೋಥೆಲ್/ ದಂಧಾ ಮನೆ (brothel, dandin mane)
Business: ವ್ಯವಹಾರ (Vyavahāra)
Client: ಕ್ಲೈಂಟ್/ ಗಿರಾಕಿ (Client, giraki)
Sex work: ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಕೆಲಸ (Laiṅgika kelasa)
Sex worker: ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು (Laiṅgika kārmikaru)
Sexual Provision: ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸೇವೆ ಒದಗಿಸುವಿಕೆ (Laiṅgika sēve odagisuvike)
Sexual service: ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸೇವೆ (Laiṅgika sēve)
Sexual Service Providers: ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಸೇವೆ ಒದಗಿಸುವವರು (Laiṅgika sēve odagisuvavaru)
Transgender: ಟ್ರಾನ್ಸ್ಜೆಂಡರ್ / ಲಿಂಗತ್ವ ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರು(Ṭrangender/ liṅgatva alpasaṅkhyātaru)
MALAYALAM
Agent / Pimp: ഏജന്റ് / ഇടനിലക്കാരൻ (agentu/edanilakkaran)
Brothel: ബ്റോതൽ (brothel)
Business: വ്യാപാരം / ബിസിനസ് (vyapaaram/business)
Client: ഉപഭോക്താവ് (upabokthaavu)
Sex work: ലൈംഗിക തൊഴിൽ (laingika thozhil)
Sex worker: ലൈംഗിക തൊഴിലാളി (laingika thozhilaali)
Sexual Service Provision: ലൈംഗിക സേവന ലഭ്യത / ലൈംഗിക സേവനം നൽകൽ (laingika sevana labhyatha /laingika sevanam nalkal)
Sexual Service Providers: ലൈംഗിക സേവന ദാതാക്കൾ (laingika sevana daathaakkal)
Sexual service: ലൈംഗിക സേവനം (laingika sevanam)
Transgender: ട്രാൻസ്ജെൻഡർ (transgender)
MARATHI
Agent/pimp: दलाल /एजंट (dalal/agent)
Brothel: धंद्याचे घर (dhandyacha ghar)
Business: व्यवसाय /धंदा (vyavasay/dhanda)
Client: ग्राहक /गिर्हाईक (grahak/girhaiyak)
Sex worker: लैंगिक कामगार /धंदा करणारी व्यक्ती (laingik kamgaar/dhanda karnari vyakti)
Sex work: लैंगिक काम /धंदा (laingik kaam/dhanda)
Sexual provision: लैंगिक सेवा (laingik seva)
Sexual service provider: लैंगिक सेवा प्रदाता (laingik seva pradata)
Sexual service: लैंगिक सेवा (laingik seva)
Transgender: पारर्लिंगी व्यक्ती (parlaingi vyakti)
TAMIL
Agent / Pimp: இடைத்தரகர் (idaiththaragar)
Brothel: பாலியல் தொழில் நடைபெறும் இடம் (paaliyal thozhil nadaiperum idam)
Business: தொழில் / வணிகம் (thozhil / vanigam)
Client: வாடிக்கையாளர் (vaadikkaiyaalar)
Sex work: பாலியல் தொழில் (paaliyal thozhil)
Sex worker: பாலியல் தொழிலாளர் (paaliyal thozhilaalar)
Sexual Service Providers: பாலியல் சேவை வழங்குநர்கள் (paaliyal sevai vazhangkunargal)
Sexual service provision: பாலியல் சேவை வழங்ககூடியமை (paaliyal sevai vazhangkakoodiyamai)
Sexual service: பாலியல் சேவை (paaliyal sevai)
Transgender: திருநங்கை / திருநம்பி / திருநர் (சூழலுக்கேற்ப) (thirunangai / thirunambi / thirunar)
TELUGU
Agent / Pimp: ఏజెంట్/దళారీ (agent/dalari)
Brothel: బ్రోతల్ (brothel)
Business: వ్యాపారం (vyaparam)
Client: క్లయింట్(client)
Sex work: లైంగిక వృత్తి (laingika vrutti)
Sex worker: లైంగిక కార్యకర్త (laingika karyakarta)
Sexual Service Provision: లైంగిక సేవల కల్పన (laingika sevala Kalpana)
Sexual service: లైంగిక సేవ (laingika seva)
Sexual Service Providers: లైంగిక సేవా ప్రదాతలు (laingika seva pradaatalu)
Transgender: ట్రాన్స్జెండర్ (transgender)
For the complete report click here.
