Thursday 10 August 2023
Our Watch sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of West Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman Ms Woodley and Victorian woman Maree Vermont killed by men’s violence in the last few days.
This has brought the national toll of women who have been killed by violence to 33, according to Destroy the Joint.
Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly urged journalists reporting on these tragedies and similar stories to do so in a way that is respectful, informed and helps the public understand the issue of violence against women.
“Violence against women is a national emergency, and does not occur “out of the blue,” it is a result of society-wide attitudes and behaviours that do not value women as equals.”
“Media can be a powerful driver of social change and can play a crucial role in shaping community attitudes and beliefs through respectful and informed reporting.
“Respectful reporting on violence against women and their children can help readers, listeners, and viewers understand how widespread the problem is, what drives it and how it can be prevented.
“We know this violence is not experienced equally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are three times more likely to report experiencing violence than non-Indigenous women due to the combined impacts of racism, discrimination and colonisation.
“Journalists can Influence how violence is talked about, so violence is never accepted or excused, is not sensationalised and victims have respect and dignity.”
Journalists can access the freely available National Reporting guidelines when covering stories that involve violence against women. It includes key statistics to support journalists in contextualising the story to help readers, listeners and viewers better understand the issue.
The National Reporting guidelines include:
- Statistics on violence against women in Australia
- Tips for reporting on violence experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
- The importance of being respectful to uphold the dignity and humanity of the victims, survivors and their families
- How to appropriately frame a story and guidance on use of language
- Important resources including a list of community services and experts on violence to go to for comment.
The guidelines are available at media.ourwatch.org.au
In addition to providing contacts for local support services, journalists are reminded to always list the following tagline at the end of the story:
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
Kind regards,
Our Watch Media Team
Contact
Shannon McKeogh, Senior Media and Communications Advisor
Phone: 0412 612 039
Email: media@ourwatch.org.au
ABOUT OUR WATCH
Our Watch is a national leader in Australia's work to stop violence against women and their children before it starts. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the practices, norms and structures that lead to violence against women and children.
