Framing the Narratives of Violence Against Women: Assessing Bangladeshi Media Reports through UNDP Guidelines

Jebunnesa Juthi, Safayat Hossen, Md Muniruzzaman

Abstract


Violence against Women (VAW) is a widespread societal concern, stemming from unequal power relations between men and women. Instances of VAW often attract considerable attention from the global media landscape due to their inherent news value. However, the content of news media frequently misrepresents the issue, failing to catalyze social change. This study analyses how Bangladeshi media, particularly national dailies, report on VAW through the lens of UNDP guidelines, as well as their framing techniques. Employing a mixed-method research approach, this study examines a year-long news coverage of four prominent national dailies of Bangladesh, namely Bangladesh Pratidin, Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and Daily Sun. These newspapers were selected primarily based on their circulation through a purposive sampling approach. Findings from the summative content analysis reveal that Bangladeshi national dailies have limited compliance with the guidelines, often engaging in victim-blaming, providing details of violence, revealing the identity of victims, justifying violence, and sensationalising news, largely ignoring the educational role, particularly regarding imbalanced gender power and firearms misuse. Notably, compliance frequency was higher in English newspapers compared to Bangla newspapers. Additionally, the coverage was largely dominated by news articles of episodic frame over thematic frame. Such portrayals not only undermine the media's potential to drive social change but also have adverse effects on victims. This study underscores the critical imperative for media outlets to report mindfully, fostering informed public discourse and supporting efforts to combat VAW.

 

Keywords: VAW, news framing, UNDP guidelines, social responsibility, Bangladesh.

 

https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2026-4201-13


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References


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