ABSTRACT
Recent research has noted how a lack of cultural diversity in the newsroom has an impact on what makes news and how it is reported (Rodrigues et al., 2021). This study examines how the media reports on violence against Australian women from culturally diverse backgrounds, and First Nations people. A qualitative analysis of news articles published in three prominent news media from September and December 2020 finds a lack of consideration given to intersectional factors, such as cultural diversity, race, socioeconomic conditions, and gender, that affect victims from diverse backgrounds. In a sign of positive development, following the #MeToo 2.0 movement of 2017 and Australian women groups’ efforts to change the narrative around violence against women (VAW), a significant number of news stories (23%) on VAW were reported in a constructive tone. However, the study finds that most of the journalists who reported on VAW that involved minority communities were either from Anglo-Celtic backgrounds (69%) or remained anonymous (5%). This raises concerns about journalists’ knowledge gap when reporting on the issue and cases of VAW from diverse communities. The chapter concludes by noting that diversity in the newsroom is yet another area that needs attention for a more nuanced coverage of stories of VAW.
