United States, British, and New Zealand Broadsheet Representations of Domestic Violence Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a growing area of concern in the United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand, with problematic representation in the mainstream newspaper coverage. This article explores how broadsheet newspapers in the United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand provide media coverage of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders of DV, and how the construct of DV in such coverage has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-eight newspaper articles published between 2017 and 2020 were sourced and analysed to provide a representation inclusive of DV before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicate the emergence of three key themes: the defenceless ‘ideal victim’, excusing men’s violence, and the construction of sensationalism. Findings also resonate with previous research that men are likely to be perpetrators and women are likely to fall victim to DV. Stereotypical media continues to overshadow victims’ agency and resilience, which are ignored for a more sensationalised narrative. This, in turn, sheds new light on moral panic theory whereby the alleged ‘girl nastiness’ is indirectly attributed to the victim who allegedly provoked the violence, the implication being that representing DV in ways sensitive to the victim remains a significant challenge to be addressed even by reputable broadsheet newspapers.