Reporting domestic violence: it’s not just statistics
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Posted by Jennifer L Pozner October 6th, 2008 |
Quick hit: several of us here at WIMN’s Voices have written about how misrepresentative media treatment of violence against women too often is — that is, when this kind of abuse isn’t missing entirely, or portrayed as alternately glamorous or hilarious.
Yet it’s rare that we get to congratulate an outlet for solid journalism on the subject. So I’m pleased to be able to point you to The Eunice News, a small, local Louisiana newspaper, which recently began a series that aims to educate readers about the nature of domestic violence, from the roots of the problem to the ways it plays out in the lives of victims and perpetrators.
In “Loretta’s Story: Abuse started shortly after marriage,” Jamie Anfenson-Comeau moves beyond simply reporting dry statistics and, more importantly, eschews the victim blaming that is still inappropriately present in major media discussions about violence against women. Instead, he tells the story of one domestic violence survivor in her own words, without judgment, allowing readers insight into the way the cycle of violence begins: from courtship to emotional and verbal abuse, to the eventual isolation of the victim from family and friends so that by the time physical violence is present there’s little in the way of a safety net for her to turn to for support.
Anfenson-Comeau will be telling the rest of Loretta’s story through several pieces in coming weeks. If you appreciate the series, drop him a note at jamieenews[at]bellsouth[dot]net.
And the next time a major national news outlet claims that they aren’t covering domestic violence in a broad-based, in-depth enough way simply because resources are too scant, just point them to The Eunice News — because if a small-town paper can do it well, so could all the nationals… if they wanted to.
October 6th, 2008 15:09
Is there a link or easy way to read his first installment? I’m always a bit …uneasy, maybe when a man does a story about domestic violence. And I don’t want to give kudos until more is read. Am I too skeptical?
October 6th, 2008 15:10
I just figured out the link to his story. Thanks.
October 6th, 2008 15:12
The link is above, just click on the words “Loretta’s story” (if that doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.eunicetoday.com/node/12138 )
October 12th, 2008 15:38
[…] Last week, I blogged about the Eunice News, a small, local newspaper in Louisiana that has decided to do something that shouldn’t be (but too often is) unusual for corporate media: educate readers about the nature of domestic violence, from the roots of the problem to the ways it plays out in the lives of victims and perpetrators. As I wrote last week: In “Loretta’s Story: Abuse started shortly after marriage,” Jamie Anfenson-Comeau moves beyond simply reporting dry statistics and, more importantly, eschews the victim blaming that is still inappropriately present in major media discussions about violence against women. Instead, he tells the story of one domestic violence survivor in her own words, without judgment, allowing readers insight into the way the cycle of violence begins: from courtship to emotional and verbal abuse, to the eventual isolation of the victim from family and friends so that by the time physical violence is present there’s little in the way of a safety net for her to turn to for support. […]