Media Ethics Board calls for responsible reporting on violence against women

The Media Ethics Board has called on all media organizations to adopt a more careful, responsible, and human rights-based approach when reporting on femicides and violence against women. The Board emphasized that media outlets have a responsibility to avoid reproducing violence, blaming victims, or exonerating perpetrators, alongside their freedom to report.

In a written statement, the Board noted that femicides are not isolated incidents but are the most severe consequences of gender inequality and violence against women. They asserted that there is no justification or excuse for the deprivation of a woman's right to life.

The Board urged journalists to focus on the social context of these crimes rather than sensationalism. They specifically advised against using framing language that trivializes murders, such as calling them ‘family matters’, ‘crimes of passion’, ‘jealousy crises’, or ‘sudden outbursts’. Furthermore, the Board stated that reporting should protect the human dignity of the victims and respect the privacy and mourning rights of their families, rather than shifting the responsibility of violence onto the victim.