Child Murders: Media Coverage of a Global Practice

• In Event: Feminists Examine Violence and Heroism

Abstract

Infanticide has a long and tragic history. A child has its best chance of being killed by its parents the day it is born. If she/he survives the first 24 hours, the chances s/he will die are greater the first year of life than any other time in childhood or adolescence. To better understand how contemporary media report on infanticide, this paper analyzes newspaper articles on infanticide published since the 1970s. It asks: How do journalists frame infanticide? Results from this qualitative textual analysis showed news reports typical present infanticide as an isolated event, failing to provide any background or context on cultural factors (stigma against teen pregnancy, lack of information on postpartum illness). This analysis suggests that journalists might offer information about where mothers can get help—crisis lines, adoption information, abortion information, and “safe havens.”

Author

• Barbara Ann Barnett, U of Kansas