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Slain and Slandered: A Content Analysis of the Portrayal of Femicide in Crime News

NCJ Number
225845
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2009 Pages: 21-49
Author(s)
Rae Taylor
Date Published
February 2009
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This study was designed to contribute to the existing literature dedicated to investigating the portrayal of femicide (female homicide) and its victims in the news media.
Abstract
The study serves to reinforce various findings reported in existing literature on the portrayal of femicide victims by the news media while identifying some new areas as well. One basic theme of existing literature is that the news media tend to blame victims for their own victimizations, and the present study produced key findings consistent with this theme. The findings also support literature from feminist theorists who contend that the tendency of the media to cast blame on victims of femicide for their own deaths presents a significant barrier to social change concerning femicide. The exception found regarding victim blame was in cases where the incident was female perpetrated. The media play a significant role in contemporary society because of the nearly exclusive power they have in deciding what issues are worthy of publicity. Researchers have concluded that the mass media’s portrayal of women reflects the overall treatment of women in society. With regard to the media’s portrayal of violence against women, the practice of blaming female victims of domestic and other forms of violence for their own plight is the primary barrier to social change relevant to this phenomenon. This study was a content analysis of crime news to determine how femicide victims were portrayed by a Florida metropolitan newspaper. The analysis consisted of 292 domestic homicide-related articles published by 1 newspaper from 1995 to 2000. Data were analyzed to determine effects on newsworthiness, context revealed, and patterns of victim blame. Tables and references

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