Portrayal of Domestic Violence in the Media

There was a time when domestic violence was not sought-after in the media as much as it is today. It was not a thing to report on a daily basis. It wasn’t until relationships with high-profile status seemed to crumble because of domestic violence that the world took note.  It was generally on television on movies and not on news. www.domesticviolence.pbworks.com sums it up when it says:

The representation of domestic violence in the visual media is no longer a thing seen only on so-called “women’s channels” such as Lifetime network or subjected to daytime talk shows. The topic of domestic violence has been showcased on the small screen through reality shows such as Cops, made-for-television movies such as The Burning Bed, and even primetime television shows such as the popular ER, NYPD Blue, and Six Feet Under. DV has also been the main topic focused on the big screen with Hollywood movies such as Sleeping with the Enemy (Julia Roberts), What’s Love Got To Do With It (Angela Bassett) and Enough (Jennifer Lopez). Although many critics focus on the never ending public outrage over the amount and content of media violence stating that there is too much and it is too graphic, many believe that if used effectively, the media could responsibly enlighten and educate the public about societal issues.

Technology and social media has helped led this cause into the mainstream media. People are now able to set the tone for what is trending through the use of Facebook and Twitter. With the ability to record and take pictures instantly on cellular devices and then upload those to social media, news of this violence has a higher chance of getting noticed.

Consequently, it seems that the public has become more outraged over hearing domestic violence abuse cases or stories. An example recently is that of former Olympian Oscar Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Can you think of any other domestic violence stories that have broken through the media recently?