Tips for Media

Naming the killing of women and girls #femicide can contribute to public awareness about and reduce tolerance toward #VAW. Public awareness can be further enhanced when root causes of #femicide are identified. #genderinequality #racism #colonization #patriarchy #impunity.

The focus on use of alcohol in incidences of #femicide in news and in media diffuses responsibility & accountability of perpetrators for violence against women. #Femicide is a choice someone makes to kill a woman. #VAW #GBV #media. @CBCNews @CTVNews @globeandmail @globalnews

Police most often quoted in news stories of #femicide. Reach out to professionals/advocates working to prevent #VAW for their expertise. The continuing absence of their voices provides incomplete picture on #VAW to readers. 

When stories focus on #femicide #vaw incidents without broader context, it leaves impression of individual tragedies and no solutions. Statistics help provide big picture, showing frequency of violence and publicly available.

Describing #femicide perpetrators as 'a quiet man', 'a great father', or 'a loving guy' leaves impression that killing was out of character, but was it? Do you know that really? If not, don't mitigate the crime. 

Avoid sensational headlines using use words like 'shocking' which portray femicides as isolated incidents rather final acts in often ongoing, chronic violence. Is it shocking if 1 woman is killed every 6 days by male partner?

Using language such as 'domestic dispute', 'volatile relationship', or 'domestic disturbance' minimizes and trivializes a violent situation. It ignores reality that incidents are often part of chronic, ongoing violence.

Domestic violence often reported with headlines 'women stabbed', 'woman assaulted', 'woman beaten'. Violence doesn't just happen to a woman, someone perpetrates violence on her. Say that! 'Man stabs woman', 'man assaults woman', 'man beats woman'. RT to local media.

Media often refer to male jealousy to explain men who kill female partners/ex-partners. Terms used are 'love gone wrong', 'from love to murder', 'crime of passion'. It's a crime, but it's not passion or love.

Too many news stories focus excessively on behaviour of survivors/victims. Regardless of your intent, this suggests she was somehow to blame for the violence. It is the perpetrator's behaviour that is a crime.