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• Use accurate language: Rape or assault is not "sex" — even when the attacker is the victim's spouse.
• Avoid language that suggests the victim is somehow to blame for the crime.
• Avoid undue focus on the socio-economic status or ethnicity of the victim or perpetrator: domestic violence is a public health problem that crosses all lines of race, class, and culture.
• Domestic violence is, in general, poorly understood by the public and under-reported by mainstream media. Take the opportunity to inform your readers with statistics and context.
• It may take time to build trust with victims and family members. Explain the type of story you're planning to write. Show old clips of stories you're proud of.
• Consider letting victims read portions of your story before publication. After reading — and seeing evidence of your intentions — they may decide to share more of their story with you.
• When describing the assault, try to strike a balance when deciding how much graphic detail to include. Too much can be gratuitous; too little can weaken the victim's case.
• Include information that can help others avoid assault.
• Provide contact information for agencies that assist survivors and families.
Dart Center Resources
• "Newspaper Studies Police Violence." A look at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's investigation of
police officers who are domestic abusers.
• "Domestic Violence: A Look at Coverage," by Roger Simpson. "When domestic violence causes the death of one or both of the people in a relationship, the local media spotlight usually picks up the tragedy," Simpson writes. "But the reporting usually reveals little about the painful history that preceded the violence."
• "Tacoma Shootings Intensify Debate," by Meg Spratt. "When Tacoma Police Chief David Brame shot his wife, Crystal Brame, then himself, on the afternoon of April 26, the assault/suicide intensified public debate about the responsibilities of individuals, law enforcement, and media in combating domestic violence."
• "The Joseph Palcyznski Story," the 2001 Dart Award Winner from The Baltimore Sun.
A two-part series on the lives of six women serially victimized by one man's extremes of physical and psychological abuse. Read the story and reporter Linell Smith's acceptance speech.
• "Understanding Patterns of Domestic Violence," by Cathy Bullock. "Understanding domestic violence would allow journalists to better evaluate what's at stake and better judge the possible consequences of coverage - not to mention better inform readers about an important social problem."
Links & Sources
• "Covering Domestic Violence: A Guide for Journalists and Other Media Professionals," by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
• "Domestic Violence," a National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet. It
explains what domestic violence is, its prevalence, the dynamics of an abusive relationship, and the effects and treatment
• The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
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