Abstract
In the recent years, Ethiopian immigrants in Israel have been making headlines mainly in connection to domestic violence and murder. For the last decade, 30 Ethiopian women were murdered by their husbands. Iyengar (1991) distinguishes between two types of framing in news coverage. An episodic frame, which focuses mostly on the specific details of the events, and a thematic frame, which deals with the broader context within the events occur. In the case of the thematic frame, the source of the problem is found in the wider social circles, or the care-giving facilities, and they bear the responsibility for solving the problem as well. According Carter and Weaver (2003) the media’s presentation of violent stories constitutes means of social control, which encourages fear that leads to the search for authoritative and one-dimensional solutions. In order to examine the nature of the press coverage of Ethiopian husbands who murdered their wives, two of the most popular daily newspapers in Israel have been chosen. The sample includes all the articles regarding eight Ethiopian women murdered by their partners during the years 2007-2009. It seems as the press coverage of the murdered Ethiopian women makes use of both types of frames: episodic and thematic. Strengthening the image of the poor, criminal black immigrant plays a dual functional purpose, Illustrating, on the one hand, a clear line between the dangerous and the normal and, on the other hand, removing responsibility from the rest of the Israeli society.
Highlights
The media coverage preserves a cultural framework that is comprised of various myths regarding spousal abuse. Meyers (1997) presents the viewing points of various feminist researchers view news reports as a result of male perceptions, which immortalize stereotypes and myths and reduce the intensity and the threat behind these behaviors. Carter (1998) claims that there is a general social denial regarding the extent of domestic violence
An episodic frame, which focuses mostly on the specific details of the events, and a thematic frame, which deals with the broader context within the events occur
In the case of the thematic frame, the source of the problem is found in the wider social circles, or the care-giving facilities, and they bear the responsibility for solving the problem as well
Summary
The media coverage preserves a cultural framework that is comprised of various myths regarding spousal abuse. Meyers (1997) presents the viewing points of various feminist researchers view news reports as a result of male perceptions, which immortalize stereotypes and myths and reduce the intensity and the threat behind these behaviors. Carter (1998) claims that there is a general social denial regarding the extent of domestic violence. The media coverage preserves a cultural framework that is comprised of various myths regarding spousal abuse. The media's preoccupation with this topic puts it on the public agenda and makes it a main topic that needs to be addressed and dealt with, in addition to its consequences. This caused substantial social changes in law enforcement, as well as other treatment agencies. The focus on the issue of violence towards women is a part of a trend where women are usually presented in the media as victims or related to victims, a trend that continues to determine the social inferiority of women who need protection and saving by the male patriarchal systems
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