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When reporting on domestic violence, respecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of survivors is paramount. Journalists do not want to endanger those who have already endured significant trauma, but they may not know how easy it can be to cause harm. The exposure, or fear of exposure, that comes from cooperating with journalists can have significant, enduring effects on survivors and their families.
“Safety is a huge thing. To put your story into someone's hands, when you don't fully know what's going to happen with it, is terrifying,” says Angela Kim, a writer on survivorship and disability. “You can be left thinking, ‘Where is this recording going to live? Are they going to honor pseudonyms and have everything be anonymous? Is my picture going to end up on the website?’ It could have really serious repercussions.”
Revealing personal details can have consequences for survivors including re-traumatization, social stigma, and even physical danger. Ensuring the privacy and safety of survivors may mean making difficult editorial decisions. It requires journalists to balance the public’s right to know with their ethical obligations to survivors who come forward.
“Covering domestic violence is totally different from covering any other kind of news. As journalists, we have to understand that,” says Rossana Drumond, who publishes Alianza Metropolitan News and hosts radio programs exploring domestic violence prevention in Latinx communities. Survivors “trust us to tell their stories, and in return we must respect their dignity.”
By taking proactive steps to shield identities and sensitive information, journalists can help protect the survivors they interview. This also encourages more survivors to open up, leading to more powerful and authentic stories about their hardships, resilience, solutions, and success.
