Genocide, rape, and careless disregard: media ethics and the problematic reporting on Yazidi survivors of ISIS captivity

Abstract

In this article, we use a transnational feminist perspective to explore how English language media reported on Yazidi women who survived abduction by the self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) during the 2014 genocidal attacks. Through a content analysis of 75 online sources from 2014 and 2015, we found widespread breaches of United Nations Global Protection Cluster Guidelines (UN) for ethical reporting on gender violence that potentially compromise the safety and well-being of survivors, and increase the risk of re-victimization and collective stigmatization of Yazidi women. These findings suggest a “hypocrisy of protectionism” as a component of predatory journalism in the War on Terror, and contribute to feminist media scholarship and humanitarian efforts to better serve survivors of gender-based violence in conflict settings.

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