Rachel Paterson

As a child bereaved by fatal domestic abuse, headlines calling a man who killed three women a “nice guy” and “normal person” have felt personally traumatic. The media called my father a “gentle man” and “nice chap”, which misrepresented the controlling reality that myself and my family experienced for years. It compounded our trauma. Reporting like this causes so much damage – both to victims’ families, and to public understandings of coercive control. It has to stop. Now. We need every single newsroom trained in how to report domestic abuse deaths, and to lobby the regulator for stronger rules. The press has the power to prevent further deaths and save women’s lives. Please support this crowdfunder I’ve started to support @we_level_up’s crucial work to train journalists in their Dignity For Dead Women guidelines. This takes all of us ➡️ gofundme.com/f/levelup-media