Media guidelines for the responsible reporting of violence against women: a review of evidence and issues

Violence against women is a global public health problem. There is growing international interest in how to prevent this pervasive human rights violation. It is within this context that the media - a dominant force in shaping the discourse on matters of public importance - is seen to play a crucial role. This paper considers the expanding body of evidence concerning portrayals of violence against women in the news media. We then review the content of a selection of international media reporting guidelines developed to address such concerns. We demonstrate that despite similarities in content, much less is known about processes by which the guidelines have been developed and disseminated. There is only one study in the peer-reviewed literature examining the impact of media reporting guidelines on journalism practice. In the light of the dearth of research and evaluation activities, we consider issues around future efforts in this area.