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Volume 42, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0810-2686
  • E-ISSN: 2517-620X

Abstract

This article investigates how Australian online news covers domestic violence and its homicides by examining the content of 2324 domestic violence articles published online between 2014 and 2016 by ABC News Digital, and news.com.au. While content analysis is used to examine the messages in the articles, twelve interviews with reporters and editors were conducted to investigate decision-making behind the coverage. Results show Australian online news coverage is murder-oriented, with reporters and editors regarding such reporting as most effective in growing readership and influencing audiences, therefore deliberately producing coverage that risks being sensational. The article investigates how these media navigate the speed and accuracy balance when covering domestic violence that, as studies indicate, emerges as homicides and breaking news.

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2020-06-01
2026-04-14

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