Constructing Intimate Partner Homicide Online? An Analysis of the Representation of Intimate Partner Homicide in Online Media

• In Event: Violent Crimes in Australia: Intimate Partner Abuse and Juvenile/Youth Sexual Offending

Abstract

Intimate partner homicide represents a significant public health concern. To ensure appropriate responses by the public and the government to intimate partner homicide, it is important to understand how it is portrayed in the media and how the public responds to it. Past research examining media portrayals of violent crime has typically focused on traditional media outlets such as newspapers. With the growing use of online media, there is a need for more research on the representation of intimate partner homicide in online media. This project addresses the need for more research in this area by (1) examining the framing of intimate partner homicide in online reporting, (2) analysing consumer interaction with online articles featuring intimate partner homicide (through facebook comments), and (3) exploring how the public's interaction with online news changes depending on how the homicide is framed.

Author

• Emily Waters, Griffith University