Portrayals of gender and violence in online media and audience commentary: An exploration in the context of intimate partner homicide
Files
File version
Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Eriksson, Shanna L
Other Supervisors
Bond, Christine E
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
This thesis explores the portrayal of gender in the online interactive news media landscape in the context of intimate partner homicide. Previous research indicates that traditional gender stereotypes of masculinity and femininity are reinforced in news reports (Gill, 2007; Krijnen & Van Bauwel, 2015; Morgan, 2019). However, while these stereotypical portrayals are well-known in analyses of print media, how gender is presented in the complexities of online reporting (where readers' interactive comments become part of the reading experience) remains largely unexplored. This is problematic, given the large number of individuals using online media to access, and importantly react to, the news (Park et al., 2020; Watkins et al., 2016). While research suggests the way crime is presented in the media influences public perceptions (Davis, 2009; De Vreese, 2005; Schneider, 2012), few studies directly test how media reports shape online comments, particularly in the context of intimate partner homicide. The question of how (if at all) gender is portrayed in online media reporting of intimate partner homicide is examined across three separate studies. These focus on male/female pairs of offenders and victims as this dyad remains the most commonly reported relationship in media articles in the context of intimate partner violence. Together, these studies bring a mixed methods approach to the understanding of the portrayal of gender. Through a qualitative framing analysis of 121 online articles drawn from four popular media outlets, Study 1 examines how intimate partner homicide is framed in online media in Australia and, importantly, whether the frames and subframes differ across male offender/female victim or female offender/male victim pairs. Study 2 shifts focus from media reports to audience commentary by examining how the audience comments on what is reported, and whether their comments differ across gender pairs. In this study, the content (theme) and tone (civility) of 371 Facebook comments responding to the articles from Study 1 are analysed using a thematic analysis. Study 3 significantly contributes to the literature on media framing effects by directly testing the impact that news media frames have on audience commentary, using an experimental vignette design with 537 survey respondents. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine whether the content (theme) and tone (civility) of respondent comments were impacted by the frame of the media and the gender of the offender/victim pair, controlling for respondents' media usage, attitudes, and demographics. [...]
Journal Title
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
Issue
Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy
School
School of Crim & Crim Justice
Publisher link
DOI
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
online media
audience interaction
intimate partner homicide