Neighbors, policemen or experts? The informative sources in the news about femicides

Abstract

The proper use of information sources has traditionally been identified as one of the most relevant elements when reporting on gender-based murders. However, in most cases, these informative treatments have rarely resorted to experts who offer a more social view of the event. This article collects the results of an investigation in which 381 news published in the seven main newspapers of the Basque Country regarding femicides that occurred between 2015 and 2017 were analyzed. Likewise, ten interviews were conducted with media editors. The results of the investigation show that the neighborhood and families continue to be the most common source of information, ahead of political institutions and feminist associations, and police and judicial sources. For their part, media editors are aware of the dangers of using the neighborhood as a source of information, and they recognize the difficulties for the correct coverage of this type of information derived from journalistic routines.