How Journalists Can Cover Domestic Violence with Respect
In articles about domestic violence, we’ve read more descriptions of physical violence than anything else. Stock photos of balled up fists and bruised women are used throughout the media. But this kind of content ignores abuse that isn’t physical and survivors who aren’t women. Here’s what we think journalists should include in every article:
Images that Give Survivors a Say in How They’re Depicted
Images shouldn’t be add-ons that retraumatize survivors. Instead, they should be collaborations with survivors to accurately represent their experiences. That’s why the Partnership is working with Jenny Stratton and Sarah Blesener, the creators of Enter/Exit, to help photojournalists learn how to depict domestic violence and solutions in ways that display care—informed by survivors themselves. Survivors will get hands-on practice weaving their stories to an advocacy goal and conveying their own points of view.
Explanations of Systemic Injustices that Make Domestic Violence Worse
We can’t let violence itself be the whole story. Journalists should look at survivors’ needs and what social inequities keep them trapped in abusive relationships. The Partnership develops informative resources journalists can use to get a deeper look into survivors’ lives: our 2025 Needs Assessment revealed that survivors identified financial hardship and lack of housing as their most significant barriers to leaving abusive relationships.
People Who Have Been Harmed by Domestic Violence
According to a 2023-2025 California news analysis of domestic violence coverage from Berkeley Media Studies Group, only one in five articles included a quote or anecdote from a survivor. Without more survivor voices, it’s impossible to know what needs to change to create safer outcomes. That’s why we’ve trained 39 survivors on how to work with the media. They are now tapped as expert media sources, leading to many articles, speaking engagements, and op-eds that have provided more accuracy and concrete recommendations on addressing domestic violence.
Solutions to Domestic Violence
Journalists are up against expectations to cover the news quickly and elicit clicks and reactions from readers. To better support journalists in creating engaging coverage of domestic violence under a deadline, we collaborated with Blue Shield of California Foundation to create the Journalist Playbook. Not only does the Playbook provide tips for meaningfully working with survivors—it also discusses the most promising solutions to domestic violence and provides a source directory with experts working toward those solutions.
What do you think needs to change in media reporting? Who do you think needs to be a part of this conversation? Send your thoughts to communications@cpedv.org.
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