A Double Launch for GBV In The Media

For years, feminist advocates have raised their voices about the importance of accurate media reporting of gender-based violence in the media. For years, we have seen gender inequality furthered and strengthened through media representation of gender-based violence. For years, survivors and their loved ones have seen their stories (and lives) misrepresented, mischaracterized, and in many cases ignored by media. 

The relationship between the GBV and Media sectors has been historically strained. But we know the only way for us to create transformative change, and utilize media as a means to prevent and end gender-based violence, is to bridge that divide. This is why we are so proud to have officially launched our GBV In The Media project, funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada, in which we created:

• A National Network of pan-Canadian GBV and media stakeholders (with a parallel Indigenous-led Network)
• Media Guidelines around reporting on gender-based violence, which were expert-informed, and included dedicated sections on Violence Against Indigenous Women, Human/Sex Trafficking, Femicide and more.
• A Research Background & Literature Review that explored portrayals of GBV in the media, with an Indigenous-specific section.
• A Journalist’s Scorecard, a tool created to support media professionals’ usage of Aura Freedom’s Guidelines on GBV in the Media.
• An Online Resource Centre to house all project info, tools, and resources, including: the guidelines, research, scorecard, a list of our National Network, our definition for Transformative Media, and more.
• Awareness & Events to promote the issue of GBV in the Media, dissemination of the guidelines, our research, our tools, and more through partnerships, events, social media, and more. 

We are grateful to everyone who attended our launch events, both in person in Toronto our online webinar. Our launch events consisted of both a Project Presentation to introduce the project, provide a background on the project’s research, and give overview to the media guidelines, as well as a Panel Discussion that brought together experts from both the GBV and Media sectors, many of whom were National Network members. We are grateful to the numerous journalists and GBV advocates who joined us at these events, and continue to join us in this growing movement dedicated to combating GBV through the power of media.

Together, we have created a project that seeks to radically change the way gender-based violence is viewed and addressed in our communities.