Women's advocates take media to task for murder coverage
'Intimate Partner Violence is an Epidemic' panel discussion and seminar hosted by Huronia Transition Homes
By Wesley McDonald
A recent panel discussion and seminar took the media to task over its coverage of violence against women.
Held at Operation Grow, the free event titled 'Intimate Partner Violence is an Epidemic', gave organizers with Huronia Transition Homes a chance to question traditional news articles that they say only reinforce stereotypes.
“That’s what we’re hoping to do today, is change some of the language and the perceptions and the imagery that we associate with intimate partner violence and violence against women,” Huronia Transition Homes’ executive director Haily MacDonald said.
MacDonald specifically targeted a followup article into a murder last year that left a young woman dead at the hands of her alleged boyfriend. (MidlandToday had three other articles relating to the murder, including one titled 'Women are not disposable': Midland walk to mourn murder victim'.)
“Together we are going to rewrite it in a way that really talks about the epidemic of intimate partner violence, that really honours her and her humanity,” she said.
From there, seminar participants, led by Huronia Transition Homes development and communications manager Desiree Salis, discussed why they didn’t like the article since it addressed both the murder victim’s relationship with the suspect and gave a voice to the accused man through attribution from a friend.
The panel featured a number of other women’s advocates and research professionals, including Waypoint researcher Zoe Hilton and Athena’s Sexual Assault Counselling and Advocacy Centre program director Kelly Redmond.
In this video from contributor Wes McDonald, Haily MacDonald explains the purpose for the event.