Janey Starling
Young People and Information: It’s complicated | Speaker
Profile
Janey Starling is a domestic abuse expert and author of Dignity for dead women: Media guidelines for reporting domestic violence deaths (2018), the UK’s media guidelines for reporting on fatal domestic abuse. These guidelines are now backed by all UK press regulators, and form the basis of a CPD-accredited specialist training for journalists.
The guidelines were written on behalf of Level Up, a UK feminist community whose mission is to interrupt all forms of gender injustice.
Conference Contribution
Level Up – Yes we can: affecting change
Watch Janey’s first talk here and download her presentation here.
Level Up – Dignity for dead women: changing how the press reports fatal domestic abuse
Watch Janey’s second talk here and download her presentation here.
Every three days in the UK, a woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner. These deaths are a standing news item across UK media, yet prior to 2018, there were no guidelines or restrictions on how these deaths were reported in the press, meaning that irresponsible, inaccurate reporting that perpetuated common myths and stereotypes was widespread.
Level Up successfully wrote and campaigned for press guidelines on reporting fatal domestic abuse, which are now backed by all UK press regulators. They provide journalists with the tools and trainings to treat these deaths with dignity, accuracy and as part of an urgent public health issue that the media plays a key role in tackling.
