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More copies from NUJ, 23 Clevely Drive, Chapel End, New issue - 10p plus 12½p postage froi Women won't 10B Landseer Road, London N19 Wamen cost wait Whether is's the state of the Econo ve have athe i rente my a lasty Unity agame to stifle our wwn derands and fall in turtune the 10209: ee sey to lead the Inters" aar frest. we shouks i she landlane if ny numerent to stop ...m l My «! то ханів пису Prettine theraper. not lee- +tre.sfa-terist TRAu ...h:ol Priorities RAPE IS a surdid and vicious see headlines which include crime; it is degrading and descriptions such as 'Party emotionally shattering. No Girl', 'Goodtime Girl' or 'Disco Warks. journalist approves of such Girl'. These descriptions all where they were when they women more aware of the a crime, but many feed off imply that the crime was some- were raped. Whether she dangers of rape, and also preit. Few people who work in how more acceptable. If we was attacked on a canal tow vent us from seeing the crime the media are naive enough use the word 'Virgin' however, path, or in a public lavatory, as some kind of stereotype. to deny that sexual crimes, we imply that it is unaccept- many women consider it is a •The setting. like murders, are often seen able. All rape is unacceptable. gross insult to be portrayed The idea of the dirty old as 'good copy'; they sell news- •Description of mode of dress. s helpless little things who man posing in his raincoat papers and keep viewers' attention. They also offend 'mini-skirted', "bra-less' or If we say that a woman was are only safe locked up at home behind doors. Women have tend to be the 'norm'. • It may behind a park bush does not and denigrate women. shirt' , we imply that this pro- was wearing a skimpy tee- a right to go to the same places make mundane reading, but this. Victorian newspapers were, it anything, far more There is nothing new in sexual assault. Too many voked and even justified a as men. •Identification. Some victims can easily be most rapes occur in ordinary places like car parks, under- passes and college campuses.

macabre and medodramatic journalists, particularly men, identified by press reports, In many cases, the attacker The problem is that we are in reporting • such crimes. jump to the conclusion that a victim 'was asking for it'. even though it is illegal to do so. If you say that the victim is known to the victim. Where possible, given the laws of still writing such stories today. What rubbish. was a widow, the mother of contempt, this should be Was it the Yorkshire Ripper •Trivialisation of the offence. three children and lives in brought out in the story so that or Jack the Ripper? Read A headline in the Daily a fourth floor flat near the city people become more aware how sub-editors still high- today's popular papers and see light the most titillating aspects Star read: 'Bubble and Shriek: Why Bill scalped the Missus' This was a report of a horrifying Crisis Centre have spoken to centre, her right to anonymity can be breached. The Rape of the fact. does not need sordid, some- Rape in itself is news and of sexual crimes, and down- grade other details which are husband beat her up and then attack on woman, whose victims who have been identi- fied by such unnecessary ments: Sometimes, however, times titillating, embellishoften more. relevant to the cut her hair off with kitchen detail. more acknowledgement could junk such outdated and in- journalists are now ready to story. Surely in the 1980s, headline described the rape of an office workers as a 'Bust scissors. Another recent What to include concentrating on his sexual be made of the injuries caused by the attacker, rather than sensitive reporting? up in the office'. Sub-editors facts can actually motives.

As journalists we pride our- may indulge their fantasy at selves on our ability to reflect such puns, but they should and relate to our audience. remember that the main characWhy then dn we persist in ters in their stories - the alienating half of them, women victims - are not fictional. who do not see sexual crimes •Descriptions of occupation. as cheap titillation? Journalists tend to be obThis pamphlet has been sessed with occupations, drawn up by NUJ members particularly in court cases. in Birmingham after consulting Obviously in rape cases, it with the Birmingham Rape is an offence to identify the