Local media shape the way the community, survivors and perpetrators understand violence. They are therefore “uniquely placed to help stop violence before it starts” (Rosie Batty, Domestic Violence campaigner and Australian of the Year).

Too often, The Warrnambool Standard sensationalises violent crime and subtly indicates that the victim was to blame for the violence inflicted on them, including in cases of violence against women and their children. This approach - arguably for the sake of engagement and/or 'entertainment' - normalises violence in our community, disregards the wellbeing of victims, and falls far short of the type of honest journalism that the community expects.

 

Some examples:

 

Example 1, “Man charged with sexual assault allegedly told police the victim ‘didn’t say no’” (The Warrnambool Standard, 24/09/2020):
Why is the headline about the accused’s excuse for rape? It immediately casts scepticism over the woman’s accusation and promotes harmful conceptions of consent that prevent more women from coming forward. I shudder to think how the woman felt upon seeing this headline.

 

Example 2, “Jealous Lover in Custody” (The Warrnambool Standard, 23/09/2020): 
In breach of a family violence intervention and having threatened to kill her, the woman’s ex-partner allegedly broke down the door to her residence with a baseball bat and assaulted a male inside. The Warrnambool Standard’s article presented the attack as a drama about jealous lovers. On average, one woman is murdered each week by their current or former partner in Australia - violence against women is not entertainment, nor is it a natural or acceptable response to jealousy.

Example 3, “Man in Coma After Threesome Offer” (The Warrnambool Standard, 2019):
When my friend was brutally assaulted last year, The Warrnambool Standard published an article that focussed on the accused’s apparent motive for the assault: a suggestion for a ’threesome’. Police confirmed on a phone call with me that the ‘threesome’ reference was solely attributable to the accused. The officer I spoke with lamented The Warrnambool Standard’s recurring malpractice of reporting defendant statements as ‘fact’.

Frenzied discussion ensued on Facebook, my friend’s identity was discovered and he received direct messages ridiculing him, causing him severe psychological distress. When I contacted the editors of the Warrnambool Standard to explain the article’s inaccuracies and the harm it was causing the victim, I was at first ignored, then met with an appalling lack of concern and accountability. The article was subsequently sent to print.

 

Example 4, ‘The Standard Courts and Crime’ Private Facebook Page:
The Warrnambool Standard administers a private Facebook page called ‘The Standard Courts and Crime’, which they created because, as they state, “we’ve learned over the years that our readers can’t get enough of crime stories” and, “this new platform will allow us to deliver all our courts and crime news which we’ve previously been unable to share to Facebook for legal reasons.”

(Link) Images of The Standard Courts and Crime private Facebook page (24 September, 2020)

 

CALL TO ACTION

The Warrnambool Standard far too often slips into prioritising “clicks” over honest journalism and the wellbeing of the community which supports it.

Please sign and share this petition to demonstrate to The Warrnambool Standard that its (potential) subscribers do not want harmful, second-rate crime drama, but crime reporting which:

• is honest;
• is appropriately balanced;
• preserves the dignity of survivors of violence, and;
• treats violence and rape seriously.

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Portland Observer Article
(Link) Opinion piece about this petition published by the Portland Observer, Tuesday, Oct-06, "Protecting Victims"

Our Watch
Our Watch, a government-sponsored, not-for-profit organisation, releases clear guidelines for media about how to report violence against women and their children. These guidelines are made because research shows that poor reporting on violence against women exacerbates the issue. The following are among these guidelines:

• Do not ‘use terms that minimise or trivialise violence…’
• Do not ‘sensationalise or trivialise violence, including through the use of overly dramatic language [or] unnecessary details…’
• Do not ‘use language that justifies violence or inadvertently blames the victim for what happened to them, including whether they were… seeing other people, etc.’
• Do not ‘only rely on the police or judiciary for comment when reporting on violence against women. Keep in mind that while police can provide a history of reported crime, most violence against women is non-criminal, not an “incident”, and most violence against women goes unreported. Also, be mindful that the police or judiciary may use language that is victim-blaming, excuses violence or perpetuates harmful stereotypes.’
• Do not ‘cover only the ‘sensational’ aspects of court and police reports.’

(Link) Video, 'How to report on violence against women and their children in Victoria' (Our Watch)

(Link) ‘The media can use its influence to change the culture and attitudes that drive violence against women’ (Our Watch)