Expertise

Survivors of domestic violence are experts in their own lives. They are often experts in the systems they navigate to get help. Their stories may point to solutions that policymakers and others could pursue to prevent domestic violence from harming people in the first place.

Value lived experience

Journalists naturally rely on doctors, researchers, lawmakers, and other professionals when reporting on domestic violence. Remember that the lived experience of survivors can be equally valuable, and balance the perspectives in your story accordingly.

Reconsider traditional framing

Framing domestic violence as a “dispute” minimizes the harm that survivors have endured and overlooks its root causes. If you treat a survivor as an expert and their experience as evidence of a bigger issue, you might find a better story.

Look beyond trauma

Domestic violence is a traumatic experience that journalists can share to powerful effect in their storytelling, but it is only one part of a survivor’s experience. Ask about the systems they have had to navigate. Ask about their culture, work, studies, faith, and anything else that might inform their perspective and aid in their healing.

Expertise

Survivors of domestic violence are experts in their own lives. They are often experts in the systems they navigate to get help. Their stories may point to solutions that policymakers and others could pursue to prevent domestic violence from harming people in the first place.

In practice

Value lived experience

Reconsider traditional framing

Look beyond trauma

“Not only do we have life experience … expertise comes in how we structure our experience into constructive criticisms, insights, inputs, and feedback.”

Next Principles

Diversity

Transparency

Sensitivity

Diversity

Transparency

Sensitivity

Solutions

Safety

We can end domestic violence, together.

To learn more, visit letsenddv.org ↗