Community Event 2024

The Media Against Feminicide: Narratives, Challenges, Responsibilities

In this edition of the annual Data Against Feminicide gathering, we addressed the crucial role that the media play in the struggle against feminicide. During this discussion, we explored how the media coverage of feminicide is essential to raising awareness and denouncing gender-related violence. However, media narratives often display bias and discrimination, especially in the case of more marginalized women, thus perpetuating a “pedagogy of cruelty.”

Full video

Participants

  • Victoria Fernández Vallo (Uruguay)
  • Cecília França (Brasil)
  • Cheryl Neely (EE. UU.)
  • Savia Hasanova (Kirguisistán)
  • María Eugenia Ludueña (Argentina)

Visual summary

Reflections on the conversation

During the conversation, we discussed current narratives, the challenges facing the media, and their responsibility in covering human rights violations. Recommended best practices were also addressed, including a reflection on which strategies can be implemented to effectively improve coverage of feminicide. Some of the key ideas shared:

Media coverage is crucial to addressing feminicide, as the media have significant power in shaping culture and public perception. Its role is not only to inform but also to combat patriarchal ideas that perpetuate gender-based violence.

Media coverage of feminicides against Black women is significantly biased compared to that of white victims. This bias affects the attention they receive from both the media and the police.

Prejudice-based violence affects groups such as Indigenous people and LGBT people. Documenting these crimes is essential to combat the social complicity that normalizes them.

Media coverage of feminicides has improved in recent years, but biases persist that revictimize victims and distort reality. Addressing these biases is crucial to promoting meaningful change in society.

Diversity in newsrooms is crucial to improving coverage of sensitive issues such as feminicide and gender-based violence. Collaboration between journalists and communities can have a significant impact on the visibility of these issues.