Gender and Racial Stereotyping in Rape Coverage

Abstract

This article uses critical discourse analysis to discuss and analyse articles about rape that appeared in a South African newspaper, Grocott's Mail, between 14 October, 2008 and 29 October, 2009. Drawing on existing literature on “rape myths” in media coverage of rape, this article argues that Grocott's Mail perpetuates racial and gender stereotypes through the way in which it reports on rape. While not all of the articles included in the analysis use rape myths, most use one or more when discussing rape incidents. Specifically, Grocott's Mail tends to use rape myths that blame the victim for the rape and de-emphasise the role of the perpetrator in the rape.