Changing Coverage of Domestic Violence Murders

Abstract

Stressing relation-building and participatory communication approaches, the Rhode Island Coalition against Domestic Violence worked with journalists to develop a best practices handbook on news coverage of domestic violence murders. This study compares print coverage of domestic violence murders prehandbook (1996-1999) and posthandbook (2000-2002). Significant changes include increased labeling of the murder of intimates as domestic violence and doubled usage of advocates as sources. As a result, domestic violence murders, previously framed as unpredictable private tragedies, are more commonly framed posthandbook as social problems warranting public intervention. The authors conclude that relation-building approaches can affect news cultures and public discourse when conducted in conjunction with comprehensive participatory communications strategies.

Content and Framing of Male- and Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence in Print News

“…First, the newsprint media appears to have missed an opportunity for social advocacy by neglecting to identify broader risk and protective factors for IPV and failing to highlight local resources and services for IPV victims (Carlyle et al, 2008;McManus & Dorfman, 2003). Second, patterns in newsprint coverage may undermine efforts to change public policy and consciousness and potentially reduce funding for IPV research and prevention campaigns (Ryan et al, 2006). Indeed, the predominance of articles describing severe IPV attributable to individual factors may, in fact, decrease public perception regarding the prevalence and seriousness of all forms of IPV and also reduce the likelihood that citizens will take action (Carlyle et al, 2008;McManus & Dorfman, 2003).…”

“…Service providers, advocates, and researchers have argued for reforms in news media that would change reporting practices, improve journalist professional training and in-service education, and establish institutional guidelines for the coverage of IPV (for a review, see Ryan et al, 2006). However, such reforms have been slow to be implemented.…”

“…Similarly, Wozniak and McCloskey (2010) examined U.S. newspaper articles covering incidents of IPV perpetrated by men (n 5 70) and women (n 5 30) and found that 99% failed to cast IPV in the "broader context," that is, as a widespread social phenomenon (p. 947). Conversely, Ryan, Anastario, and DaCunha (2006) investigated how the implementation of a best practices handbook 3 on reporting domestic violence murders affected the coverage of this topic by conducting a qualitative content analysis of the articles written by 37 reporters over time, both prehandbook (n 5 103, 1996-1999) and posthandbook (n 5 172, 2000-2002). Their study found that the handbook helped media portrayals increase their depiction of IPV as a social problem warranting public intervention (Ryan et al, 2006).…”

“…Conversely, Ryan, Anastario, and DaCunha (2006) investigated how the implementation of a best practices handbook 3 on reporting domestic violence murders affected the coverage of this topic by conducting a qualitative content analysis of the articles written by 37 reporters over time, both prehandbook (n 5 103, 1996-1999) and posthandbook (n 5 172, 2000-2002). Their study found that the handbook helped media portrayals increase their depiction of IPV as a social problem warranting public intervention (Ryan et al, 2006).…”

“…The content for the best practices handbook came from the findings of content analysis, interviews, and focus groups conducted between 1996 and 1999 examining news coverage of 12 domestic violence murders. Journalists also were asked to review the handbook's content, and their input was also incorporated into the final draft (see Ryan et al, 2006).…”