The Media Hub is a project designed to allow the media access to information, statistics and sources for reporting on violence against women in Ottawa. Research has found that providing information and guidance on reporting sensitively on violence against women can help reframe how media covers these events. This is particularly important as it can lead to framing violence against women as a social problem requiring public intervention and a shift in understanding, instead of an individual private tragedy that is not connected to broader systems of inequality.
This project is an ongoing, collective process committed to engaging community voices in our work. This is the pilot version of the Media Hub, intended to initiate further conversation and incorporate varied and multiple community sources in the project.
Special Thanks
This project would not be possible without the support and guidance of OCTEVAW’s Advisory Committee chaired by Jordan Fairbairn, including Sarah Anderson, Meghan Hurley and Nicole d’Entremont (Waterwood Communications), OCTEVAW’s Public Engagement Committee, and Andrea Montpetit, Alison Taylor, Dillon Black, Adrienne Ascah, Lara Karaian, Jane Bailey, Jane Tallim, Louise Toone, Lesley Parlane, Jennifer Rankin, Roberta Della Pica, Luna Allison, Families of Sisters and Spirit, the volunteers and student interns and those who used various forms of social media to provide direction and continual feedback.
We would like to thank the Ministry of Community and Social Services for providing funding and supporting the project and for their ongoing dedication to making communities in Ottawa safer.
Acknowledgements
Special acknowledgements to Rhode Island Coalition To End Violence Against Women, Femifesto Media Toolkit, the Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls and Young Women, the Media Action REPRESENT Action Kit, the Native Women’s Association of Canada toolkit “Unlocking the Mystery of Media Relations,” as part of their Community Resource Guide, and the GLAAD Media Reference Guide. The accessibility and content of these toolkits and resources have assisted in both inspiring and creating the work of the Media Hub.