Intimate Partner Violence, Stigma, & The Media: Series Introduction

By Christine Murray, See the Triumph Co-Founder

“We need a sea change in how women are portrayed by the media...A strong message that domestic violence is not acceptable needs to be conveyed backed up by punishments for the perpetrators. “ ~ Domestic violence survivor

The above quote from a participant in our research illustrates the significant role that the media plays in shaping people’s opinions about intimate partner violence (IPV). When it comes to raising awareness about IPV, there is perhaps no more effective way to reach the masses than through the media. This includes newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio. And, in today’s digital age, this also includes web-sites, blogs, and various social media outlets.

As media channels have become increasingly integrated, any one of these media outlets likely reaches people across multiple platforms. For example, a video from a TV news story is often posted on the channel’s web-site, which is then likely to be promoted on their social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter.

What does this mean for survivors and advocates hoping to raise awareness about IPV? For one thing, it means that there’s a huge potential for media stories about IPV to reach more people, for a longer period of time than ever before. This is great news, because more people understanding the dynamics of IPV and the resources available to help means there’s a wider network of people in our communities who are equipped to address this issue and support survivors.

On the other hand, media coverage of IPV is not always helpful in raising awareness and educating the community, especially when stories are reported in ways that do not accurately describe the dynamics of abuse, use victim-blaming language, and--perhaps most dangerous of all--pose risks to the safety of victims and survivors.

I saw several examples of problems that can arise when IPV is covered irresponsibly in the media recently with all the news coverage of the Ray Rice and other domestic violence cases in the NFL. These included the following:

• On Fox News, the hosts of “Fox and Friends” came under fire for making jokes about the violence perpetrated by Ray Rice in the casino elevator. Such jokes trivialize the serious, negative consequences of abuse.
  
• Across many different media representations of the Ray Rice case, we saw frequent portrayals that either directly or implicitly demonstrated how common victim-blaming is directed toward survivors of IPV. One high-profile example of this came from ESPN sportscaster, Stephen Smith, who made remarks about how women “provoke” domestic violence, and he was later suspended from his job for a week as a consequence of making these remarks.
  
• An AP story about another NFL player, Greg Hardy from the Carolina Panthers, demonstrated how media stories can trivialize the severity of abuse. For example, although Hardy was convicted on two counts of domestic violence over the summer (the case is currently being appealed), this article refers to "the Hardy situation." Calling two domestic violence convictions a "situation" minimizes the significance of IPV. The article then went on to focus on how Hardy's domestic violence charges were "a distraction to the players."
  
  

While it is so important that the topic of IPV gets media attention, it’s important that the coverage is responsible, accurate, and safe, as well as that it does not add to the stigma that already surrounds IPV. Throughout November, we’re focusing on the topic of Intimate Partner Violence, Stigma, and the Media. We’ll share blog posts and resources designed to help survivors and advocates work more effectively with media outlets, as well as to challenge stigmatizing portrayals of IPV when they appear in the media.

We hope to hear from you this month, too. What have been your experiences in working with the media? We’d love to hear the strategies that worked for you in your local communities and beyond!