Gender Equality Ministry Sets Guidelines to Avoid Sensational Coverage of Violence Against Women

South Korea has introduced government-backed recommendations urging news organizations to avoid sensational headlines, graphic descriptions and provocative visual material when covering violence against women.

The Gender Equality and Family Ministry said it developed the “Guidelines 1.0 for Reporting Cases of Violence Against Women” with the Korean Journalists Association. The initiative aims to prevent secondary harm to victims and promote more responsible reporting practices.

The guidelines rest on five principles: reporting on the structural causes of violence against women, verifying information and responding quickly to harm caused by coverage, banning sensational reporting, protecting victims from further damage, and managing digital content responsibly. Each principle includes three main tasks.

Among the recommendations, journalists should focus on preventing violence and improving institutions rather than overemphasizing personal information or private relationships unrelated to a case. Coverage of digital sex crimes should not use reproductions or explain how exploitative material was made or distributed. The guidelines also advise against names, keywords or file names that identify such material or make it easier to search for.

The ministry plans to include the recommendations in training for trainee and experienced journalists run by the Korea Press Foundation. It also plans to recognize journalists who produce exemplary coverage as part of awards for contributions to preventing violence against women. Minister Won Min-kyung said reporting must protect the public’s right to know while also considering victims’ human rights and safety.

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Reporting on cases of violence against women must guarantee the public's right to know while also considering the human rights and safety of victims.