Rape is violence, not "sex." Reporting on sexual assault means finding not only the right language but the context and sensitivity to communicate a trauma that is at once deeply personal yet also a matter of public policy; immediate and yet freighted with centuries of stigma, silence and suppression. Reporting on sexual violence requires special ethical sensitivity, interviewing skills, and knowledge about victims, perpetrators, law and psychology.
At the Perugia Journalism Festival, the Dart Center hosted panels on confronting gendered threats, and on interviewing people with a history of violence. Event video is now available.
In the wake of the Larry Nassar sentencing, Poynter's Kelly McBride contends it’s time to rewrite journalism policies on naming survivors.
From the Office for Victims of Crime, a tip sheet on interviewing victims of human trafficking.
This tip sheet, drawing on interviews with nine leading women in journalism and other sources, offers strategies for recognizing, mitigating and addressing sexual harassment and other predatory behavior while reporting.