Citation

Lindsay-Brisbin J, DePrince AP, Welton-Mitchell C. J. Aggression Maltreat. Trauma 2014; 23(4): 383-399.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10926771.2014.896839

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

News coverage can influence public views of important health problems, including domestic violence (DV). To understand how newspaper reports frame DV, this study examined 187 articles published across a single state over a one-year period. Coded variables included characteristics of the newspapers and articles; incident details; common DV themes (e.g., victim blame; DV as isolated or rare); and education, resources, and community context. Approximately one-third of articles framed DV using themes that might misinform the public about DV (e.g., victim blame). The majority of articles missed opportunities to provide educational information or resources about DV and failed to situate DV in a community context. These findings point to missed opportunities for newspapers to provide comprehensive information and resources to the public.