Mapping the Nexus between Media Reporting of Violence against Girls: The Normalization of Violence, and the Perpetuation of Harmful Gender Norms and Stereotypes
Affiliation
Ladysmith
Date
Summary
"Recent scholarly efforts to better understand the processes and dynamics that contribute to the normalization of gender-based violence have shed light on the particular role of news media reporting..."
This research report, developed jointly by United Nations Women and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), provides an overview of the landscape of global trends in media reporting on gender-based violence. It is predominantly focused on mapping and analysing the existing literature and evidence that provide insights into the relationship between news media reporting and the normalisation of violence against girls, particularly through the perpetuation of discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes. It also showcases existing frameworks and approaches that may help catalyse more gender- and age-sensitive reporting.
As explained in the report, "The media industry has an important sphere of influence on how people shape their gender norms. Research shows that news media reporting has a strong role in perpetuating discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes, as well as the normalization of violence. On the other hand, media reporting also has the potential to shed light on the root causes of violence against women and girls, promote positive social and gender norms, and help in risk mitigation through the provision of essential information to survivors/victims and those who wish to support them."
The evidence review is based primarily on scholarly literature (in English, French, and Spanish) published over the past 20 years, supplemented by stakeholder interviews and a cross-regional analysis of news media reports on violence against girls in the past five years.
The review starts with an overview of the "state of play" of violence against women and girls (VAWG) media reporting, drawing predominantly on the literature but also on primary data from interviews and case-based media reporting analysis to highlight key trends, particularly around reporting modalities and journalistic practices. The subsequent sections dig deeper into the evidence of the nexus between news media reporting of VAWG and the normalisation of that violence through harmful gender norms and stereotypes. It does this by analysing some of the more common tropes and stereotypes that circulate in relation to victims and perpetrators, providing illustrative examples of how these features shape interpretations of violence and its victims.
In relation to the first overview section, the findings show a series of reporting modalities and journalistic practices that help to shape representations and interpretations of VAWG, including visual and textual devices and sourcing practices. In addition, cross-regional evidence suggests that mainstream news reporting tends to mirror and reinforce the dynamics that contribute to VAWG in the first place, such as blaming the victim, decentring the responsibility of perpetrators, and deploying stigmatising or sensationalising language that draws on harmful gender norms and stereotypes about women's and girls' "appropriate roles". The evidence signals that the effect of these reporting modalities is to direct the public's attention toward the behaviour and actions of victims and to suggest that the transgression is in the violation of a gender norm, rather than in the exercise of violence.
The literature also highlighted that incidents of VAWG are generally reported as episodic events or independent incidents of crime, that such reports deploy language that blames the victim by suggesting that she violated established or expected gender norms and rules, as well as that the level of sensationalism or "shock value" in the case determines its "newsworthiness". Stakeholders also noted that reporters still largely neglect to include inputs from VAWG, women's rights, or child protection experts, a concern that was corroborated by the literature.
Looking at a way forward, the final section of the report spotlights the range of existing frameworks and guidelines for promoting more gender- and age-sensitive and victim-/survivor-centred reporting, including international and regional human rights frameworks, guidelines for reporting on VAWG, and training resources and initiatives. It notes that while there is a relatively clear path forward in terms of what needs to be done to drive positive change, a pressing gap remains in how to incentivise and ensure uptake and implementation of these frameworks and strategies for more responsible reporting of gender-based violence within and across media organisations and among media practitioners.
Leveraging insights from stakeholders, as well as the literature, the report highlights additional "enablers" that may be key to unlocking the potential within these existing frameworks. These enables include dynamics that may have more or less impact at scale, such as the values and commitments of individual journalists, networks of feminist journalists and gender editors, the presence of strong feminist and women's movements that mobilise civil society in response to cases of violence and push for greater accountability from the state and media organisations, and advocacy and engagement with local news organisations and media practitioners by international organisations.
Reflecting on the evidence, the review concludes by suggesting that achieving the kinds of changes needed to foster more gender- and age-sensitive reporting will require a combination of formal and informal mechanisms, strategies, and long-term efforts and investments. These need to acknowledge that, even though gender norms and stereotypes are "sticky" and take time to change, the vast sphere of influence of news reporting, and of the media more broadly means that it presents a great opportunity and entry point for catalysing positive changes in how gender-based violence against girls is represented and, thus, how society interprets and responds to it.
This study is accompanied by "10 Essentials for Gender and Age-sensitive Media Reporting of Violence against Girls", a resource that lays out key principles and recommendations for journalists, editors, news media agencies, governments, and international organisations to ensure gender- and age-sensitive reporting of VAWG.
Click here for the 8-page Executive Summary in PDF format.
Click here for "10 Essentials for Gender and Age-sensitive Media Reporting of Violence against Girls" in PDF format.
This research report, developed jointly by United Nations Women and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), provides an overview of the landscape of global trends in media reporting on gender-based violence. It is predominantly focused on mapping and analysing the existing literature and evidence that provide insights into the relationship between news media reporting and the normalisation of violence against girls, particularly through the perpetuation of discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes. It also showcases existing frameworks and approaches that may help catalyse more gender- and age-sensitive reporting.
As explained in the report, "The media industry has an important sphere of influence on how people shape their gender norms. Research shows that news media reporting has a strong role in perpetuating discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes, as well as the normalization of violence. On the other hand, media reporting also has the potential to shed light on the root causes of violence against women and girls, promote positive social and gender norms, and help in risk mitigation through the provision of essential information to survivors/victims and those who wish to support them."
The evidence review is based primarily on scholarly literature (in English, French, and Spanish) published over the past 20 years, supplemented by stakeholder interviews and a cross-regional analysis of news media reports on violence against girls in the past five years.
The review starts with an overview of the "state of play" of violence against women and girls (VAWG) media reporting, drawing predominantly on the literature but also on primary data from interviews and case-based media reporting analysis to highlight key trends, particularly around reporting modalities and journalistic practices. The subsequent sections dig deeper into the evidence of the nexus between news media reporting of VAWG and the normalisation of that violence through harmful gender norms and stereotypes. It does this by analysing some of the more common tropes and stereotypes that circulate in relation to victims and perpetrators, providing illustrative examples of how these features shape interpretations of violence and its victims.
In relation to the first overview section, the findings show a series of reporting modalities and journalistic practices that help to shape representations and interpretations of VAWG, including visual and textual devices and sourcing practices. In addition, cross-regional evidence suggests that mainstream news reporting tends to mirror and reinforce the dynamics that contribute to VAWG in the first place, such as blaming the victim, decentring the responsibility of perpetrators, and deploying stigmatising or sensationalising language that draws on harmful gender norms and stereotypes about women's and girls' "appropriate roles". The evidence signals that the effect of these reporting modalities is to direct the public's attention toward the behaviour and actions of victims and to suggest that the transgression is in the violation of a gender norm, rather than in the exercise of violence.
The literature also highlighted that incidents of VAWG are generally reported as episodic events or independent incidents of crime, that such reports deploy language that blames the victim by suggesting that she violated established or expected gender norms and rules, as well as that the level of sensationalism or "shock value" in the case determines its "newsworthiness". Stakeholders also noted that reporters still largely neglect to include inputs from VAWG, women's rights, or child protection experts, a concern that was corroborated by the literature.
Looking at a way forward, the final section of the report spotlights the range of existing frameworks and guidelines for promoting more gender- and age-sensitive and victim-/survivor-centred reporting, including international and regional human rights frameworks, guidelines for reporting on VAWG, and training resources and initiatives. It notes that while there is a relatively clear path forward in terms of what needs to be done to drive positive change, a pressing gap remains in how to incentivise and ensure uptake and implementation of these frameworks and strategies for more responsible reporting of gender-based violence within and across media organisations and among media practitioners.
Leveraging insights from stakeholders, as well as the literature, the report highlights additional "enablers" that may be key to unlocking the potential within these existing frameworks. These enables include dynamics that may have more or less impact at scale, such as the values and commitments of individual journalists, networks of feminist journalists and gender editors, the presence of strong feminist and women's movements that mobilise civil society in response to cases of violence and push for greater accountability from the state and media organisations, and advocacy and engagement with local news organisations and media practitioners by international organisations.
Reflecting on the evidence, the review concludes by suggesting that achieving the kinds of changes needed to foster more gender- and age-sensitive reporting will require a combination of formal and informal mechanisms, strategies, and long-term efforts and investments. These need to acknowledge that, even though gender norms and stereotypes are "sticky" and take time to change, the vast sphere of influence of news reporting, and of the media more broadly means that it presents a great opportunity and entry point for catalysing positive changes in how gender-based violence against girls is represented and, thus, how society interprets and responds to it.
This study is accompanied by "10 Essentials for Gender and Age-sensitive Media Reporting of Violence against Girls", a resource that lays out key principles and recommendations for journalists, editors, news media agencies, governments, and international organisations to ensure gender- and age-sensitive reporting of VAWG.
Click here for the 8-page Executive Summary in PDF format.
Click here for "10 Essentials for Gender and Age-sensitive Media Reporting of Violence against Girls" in PDF format.
Source
UN Women website on June 1 2023. Image credit: UNICEF/UN076725/Delil Souleiman
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