Last October, I tracked hundreds of stories in the US media relating to Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Out of all those, maybe a dozen represented factual reporting with any attempt at objectivity. Mostly the public was subjected to the same baseless factoids and unsupportable statistics that have been floating around for years, and in some cases, decades.
What is needed is an honest approach to the problem, free from ideological philosophies and the concerns most shelter advocates have for their shelter’s budgets and even personal incomes. While it is possible that media have steered clear of any investigation of these services in the belief that to be critical of DV services is to be seen as anti-woman, the fact that so many women are excluded by services themselves should be enough to alleviate those fears.
This is a subject that is in dire need of some light and air, and the media could provide a fine and worthwhile service to the community by asking important questions, and insisting on truthful answers. I've got a post at my other blog that points out the worst and most frequent misinformation, along with some questions that never seem to be asked.
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