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DOI: 10.1177/0886260505282285 © 2006 SAGE Publications Changing Coverage of Domestic Violence MurdersA Longitudinal Experiment in Participatory CommunicationUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell, Boston College
Brigham and Womens Hospital, Connors Center for Womens Health and Gender Biology
Boston College Stressing relation-building and participatory communication approaches, the Rhode Island Coalition against Domestic Violence worked with journalists to develop a best practices handbook on news coverage of domestic violence murders. This study compares print coverage of domestic violence murders prehandbook (1996-1999) and posthandbook (2000-2002). Significant changes include increased labeling of the murder of intimates as domestic violence and doubled usage of advocates as sources. As a result, domestic violence murders, previously framed as unpredictable private tragedies, are more commonly framed posthandbook as social problems warranting public intervention. The authors conclude that relation-building approaches can affect news cultures and public discourse when conducted in conjunction with comprehensive participatory communications strategies.
Key Words: domestic violence media coverage social movements source analysis
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