News coverage that connects domestic violence and homelessness is rare, study finds
Thursday, May 30, 2024Although domestic violence is a significant factor driving homelessness, news coverage that connects the two issues is rare, found a new study from researchers at the Berkeley Media Studies Group, a program of the Public Health Institute.
The study, funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation and conducted with input from the Housing Opportunities Mean Everything (HOME) Cohort, explored English-language news articles from California-based print and online news sources, all published between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
As many as 57% of all homeless women report domestic violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness, and 80% of unhoused women with children say they have experienced domestic violence, according to multiple studies. Yet, BMSG’s analysis found just 1% of articles about homelessness or domestic violence published over the course of a year mentioned both issues together. Of those articles, only about 1 in 4 substantively discussed the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness.
“There is plenty of news about California’s housing crisis, but if news coverage doesn’t paint a complete picture of the issues that contribute to that crisis — including gender-based violence — we can’t expect the public or policymakers to fully understand what meaningful, survivor-centered solutions look like, and why they matter so much,” said Pamela Mejia, BMSG’s Director of Research.
Though coverage of domestic violence and homelessness was limited, when stories about the two issues did appear, 89% also named solutions. Moreover, nearly every article that named solutions also named an individual, entity, or group who should be held responsible for enacting that solution.
To effectively cover these issues, journalists must also name and address the structural inequities and barriers that create them.
“Domestic violence and homelessness are both unquestionably issues deeply rooted in systemic racism and structural inequities,” Mejia said. Studies show that Black, Latine and Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by homelessness, and Black, Latine, Indigenous and Asian communities experience high rates of domestic violence.
Despite the availability of data demonstrating these inequities, just one in ten stories about the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness made any reference to structural racism or racial disparities. Additionally, though solutions were prevalent in the coverage, few articles named approaches explicitly focused on addressing racial inequities.
“Women — especially women of color — face other systemic barriers that are often left out of stories about housing,” said Kim Garcia, BMSG media researcher and co-author of the study. “Issues like low wages, lack of support for child care and other caregiving responsibilities, and financial discrimination from banks must also be considered in this conversation.”
The findings of this study raise important questions about how journalists can work with advocates to increase the amount of coverage about the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness while maintaining or improving the level of quality. What additional questions do journalists need to be asking? How can advocates help connect reporters to trusted sources for data and interviews? What else would it take to help journalists — and their audiences — more fully understand the connection between housing insecurity and abuse?
Full Text
Read the full study here.
About Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG)
BMSG, a program of the Public Health Institute, was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to expanding the ability of public health professionals, journalists, and community groups to improve the systems and structures that determine health and safety. Our approach is grounded in three decades of examining — and working to shift — narratives around public health and social justice issues to achieve racial and health equity.
About Public Health Institute (PHI)
The Public Health Institute and its programs improve health, equity, and wellness by discovering new research, strengthening key partnerships and programs, and advancing sound public health policies. Our hundreds of programs have impacted millions of people, creating an architecture that will continue to impact communities for generations to come.
Media contacts
Kim Garcia
Media Researcher, BMSG
garcia@bmsg.org, 510-423-2829
Pamela Mejia
Director of Research, BMSG
mejia@bmsg.org, 509-432-6228