Doxa Comunicación (Nov 2016)
The secondary role of the aggressor in television news on gender violence Summary
Abstract
Male violence against women is humankind’s most notable example of lack of affection. Myths that have blamed women for the expulsion from Paradise, genital mutilation, domestic violence, the use of sexual violence as weapon of war, or women being stoned, are all reflections of the circumstances in which women are defenseless victims. In Spain, it appears that the influence of the media has failed to penetrate deeply into the social conscience, something that is needed in order to tackle this scourge. The aim of this research is to determine the influence that news-related television contents have had upon gender violence and, more specifically, the way in which the aggressor is depicted in audiovisual storytelling. This study encompasses both a quantitative methodology –which has been gathered from the analysis of the 3660 yearly news editions from five national Spanish networks- and a qualitative methodology as well, through the use of comprehensive interviews of the individuals who closely work with this social problem.
