Media fell in the treatment of information regarding gender violence, while, on the other hand, violent men’s presence in social networks grows in an alarming way. This was revealed in a research and a report presented by the Association of Women Journalists of Catalonia (ADPC).
Both reports were released this week, before a crowded room, in the College of Journalists of Catalonia (CPC).
The first one, an assessment corresponding to the 2013- 2014 on the impact of the recommendations made to the media about the treatment of gender violence, shows that these cases are not reflected with the necessary rigour, and choose more sensacionalist headlines or they just reproduce the institutional press releases.
The second brings to the table a report on the sexist attacks that take place in virtual spaces and social networks and it also reveals a disturbing presence of violent networks and groups that act against the conquests of women’s rights with speeches considered as “neomachismos”.
Moderated by Carolina Barber, the presentation of the ADPC’s reports was conducted by the journalists and researchers Mavi Carrasco and Marta Corcoy. 2.0 Violence research was reported by three GrediDona’s representatives, Trinidad Donoso, Nieves and Ruben Sánchez Prado. The responsible for Women and Civil Rights of the Barcelona’s City hall, Francina Vila, was also participating in the presentation.
Ciber-danger
So far, this is the first research made on online gender violence, although some had already been made referred to the couple or cibercouple, to bullying or cyberbullying and sexting, which is considered as a crime. The research was made out of a sample of 155 adolescents surveyed and revealed no new data.
The study gives signs that there is more violence online than offline, and this data is important, since this kind of virtual violence is neither controlled nor penalized.
Among surveyed women, one can observe that they are aware of the situations of violence and of the ways to prevent it, either by blocking the access to the offender or by changing their own e-mail adresses; however, the fact that they do not perceive this violence when it refers to romantic love, concerning control, loyalty and relationship with others, it is a worrying issue.
Among young people, it has to be pointed out that they don’t consider the possibility to ask for help to their parents if they suffer a situation of violence, and they hardly consider telling their teachers or the police about it.
It was reported that the study reveals that violence occupies a large online space, which as such is not made visible and is therefore normalized. There are groups and real networks of people who advocate violence, who spread it openly or who, through disguised speeches, are seeking to undermine the rights won by women.
Media treatment
The ADPC conducts a study on the treatment of male violence in media since 2006 which is based on the recommendations made at the time and jointly together with the CPC and the Barcelona Municipality. The last report is notoriously a smaller sample: the information published on the 25th november,the International Day against Gender Violence and the information following two impact cases: the murder of two women in Nou Barris, Barcelona and in Sant Pere Pescador, Girona.
The newspapers El Pais, La Vanguardia, El Periódico, El Punt Avui and El Mundo were analyzed, in addition to the tracking of some online publications.
The report, in its conclusions, remarks that: 67% of the publications are brief news (which sometimes it is appreciated); regarding gender, no opinion pieces are recorded, except for the 25N related news; It is also in the context of the 25N when larger news are registered, also including more statistics and diverse data such as some related to protection measures, legislation, male abusers and their rehabilitation, among others.
Origin, anonymity and sources
Most of the gender violence related news mention the origin of the victim. While it is recommended not to refer to migration, not to stigmatize migrated people, in two specific cases this situation was highlighted by 86%. “The fact is that we give more relevance to the fact that the protagonists are foreigners than when they are born in Catalonia or Spain”.
Although it is recommended to maintain the anonymity of the victim and the aggressor, so to respect the abused and non-stigmatize their children, in most of the cases names were mentioned as well as further details such as their residence adresses.
In most of thecases it is reported what happened to the abuser, if he was arrested or not. It is also relevant that the background of the couple involved is reported, for instance, if there were already previous denounces and in order to inform about it, 29%, used their neighbours as a source instead of expert voices.
Adjectives and images
It is in the story of the “modus operandi” that media shows their position throuh headlines or phrases that provide too many details that do not add more than morbidity, such as “He beat her to death without his hands shaking.” It is in the both cases of violence analyzed where an excess of adjectives appears. Pictures are not appearing in 70% of the cases analyzed; however, when some images appear, they identify the place of residence.
The conclusions of the report indicate that it is observed that press, including digital media, often use institutional rejection releases on what happened, without delving much deeper into the subject or adding any other qualitative data to the information they disseminate.
