Rape Myths in the Media: A Content Analysis of Local Newspaper Reporting in the United States. Issue 9 (2nd September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sacks, Meghan; Ackerman, Alissa R; Shlosberg, Amy
• Is Part Of: Deviant behavior. Volume 39:Issue 9(2018)
• Page Start: 1237
• Page End: 1246
• Publication Date: 2018-09-02
• Subjects: Rape myths -- content analysis -- news media -- sexual assault; Deviant behavior -- Periodicals; 302.54205
• DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2017.1410608
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9625

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Previous research has shown that rape myths are often found in the media reporting of sexual assault. These studies have utilized national newspapers, magazines and television coverage of sexual assault in their examination of sexual assault, very often using celebrity cases as a focal point of the research. In the current study, a content analysis, we utilized one local newspaper from each of the nine geographical regions designated by the Census Bureau to examine how local media report on sexual assault. We included articles from a one-year time period from January 2011 to January 2012, culminating in a total sample of 386 articles. We examined descriptive statistics and conducted a series of chi-square analyses. Initially, we found very little evidence of direct rape myth reporting by local newspapers, though a further analysis revealed that local media's reporting on sexual assault might indirectly reinforce some of the commonly known rape myths.