How are women who kill portrayed in newspaper media? Connections with social values and the legal system

Abstract

Consideration of the media's representations of women who kill highlights dominant discourses in the framing of public responses to criminal acts of a particular kind, which in turn shapes legal responses to such acts. Generally, women who commit murder are, in some way, portrayed as an aberration of true womanhood — as either ‘bad’ or ‘mad’. Through an overview of the vast literature that has examined the reportage of these women, we examine how this is done and consider whether the framing or portrayal is affected by the woman's relationship to her victim: a violent partner, a child, or a non-family member. We identify some common themes in the ‘mad’, ‘bad’ and ‘sad’ representations of these women, as well as a tendency to downplay information that might contextualise or explain the women's actions. Details of the women's appearance and sexuality were also emphasised in media reports, with particular attention given to sensationalised images, for example, depictions of debauchery, vampirism and lesbianism. By contrast, underlying social issues and causes are often not included. We therefore conclude that our ability to make sense of such crimes in a manner that may assist in their prevention is diminished.