The media should avoid sensationalism and refrain from promoting harmful stereotypes about women, according to the Manual for reporting on gender-based violence against women, published by the OSCE Mission in Montenegro.
The OSCE Mission in Montenegro announced that the manual is a guide for media professionals on how to report on gender-based violence against women and girls in accordance with ethical principles and standards.
As they stated, national TV stations, newspapers, news portals and local broadcasters in Montenegro received copies of the manual.
The OSCE Mission in Montenegro said that reporting on cases of violence against women and girls is very sensitive and can have a significant impact on the lives of victims, but also on public opinion and policy makers.
"It has the potential to shed light on the root causes of violence against women and girls, promote positive social and gender norms, and help mitigate risks by providing basic information to victims," the statement said.
As the OSCE Mission said, it is crucial for journalists to report on cases of violence and eradicate the stigma surrounding this social phenomenon.
They said that media reports on violence against women are often insensitive and encourage secondary victimization of victims.
The manual, as stated by the Mission, emphasizes that the media should avoid sensationalism and refrain from promoting harmful stereotypes about women.
"A particularly problematic method of reporting is highlighting and elaborating on the "reasons" that the abuser, who is usually the partner, had, such as envy, rejection, poverty, job loss, or addiction, where responsibility for the violence is shared or even shifted from the abuser to the victim. ", says the announcement.
The OSCE Mission said that the manual encourages journalists to approach violence against women and girls as a social problem, which raises awareness in reporting and how to respond responsibly to it.
It, they said, clarifies the main problems in reporting, dispels myths that affect the way violence is reported, and formulates clear, practical principles and recommendations for setting new standards and improving existing ones.
"The manual will be the basis for future activities through which the Mission will continue to support students and journalists to further improve their capacity to report on gender-based violence," the statement said.
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