A reporter's guide to covering image-based abuse without doing more harm
Newsrooms shape how the public understands these crimes. Five editorial decisions that protect survivors, and the story, at the same time.
By Susanna Gibson
In 2023, intimate recordings of a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates were handed to a national newspaper by an operative. The paper published a story describing them in detail. Within hours, the material was everywhere, and the candidate's name became a search term for it. Every newsroom that covered the story afterward made the same set of decisions, consciously or not. These are the decisions, and how to make them well.
1. Call it what it is
Avoid “revenge porn,” “sex tape,” “scandal” and “leaked.” Images shared without consent are nonconsensual intimate imagery, and sharing them is abuse. “Scandal” frames the victim as the wrongdoer; “leaked” frames a crime as a mishap. The Associated Press and several major outlets have updated their style on this; follow them.
2. Do not describe, link or embed
The public interest in a story about a privacy violation does not extend to the content of the violated material. Do not describe acts, do not quote titles, do not link to sites hosting the material and do not name the platforms in a way that functions as a roadmap. Treat the imagery the way you would treat an image of a sexual assault, because that is what it is.
3. The crime is the story
The newsworthy event is that someone recorded, obtained or fabricated intimate material and distributed it, often to achieve a political or personal goal. Lead with the act and the actor. Ask who benefited, who supplied the material and whether the distribution was itself illegal under state or federal law. Those are reporting questions, and they are rarely asked.
4. Get consent before naming, and give notice before publishing
Private individuals should not be named without their consent. Public figures should be contacted before publication, given time to respond and told exactly what you intend to describe. Explain how to reach your standards editor. Survivors describe the moment of learning from a push alert as a second violation.
5. Think about the afterlife of the story
Headlines and URLs outlive the news cycle and become the first search result for a person's name. Write headlines that describe the crime, not the imagery. Revisit old stories when charges are filed or laws are passed. Consider whether a years-old story still serves the public, and have a process for requests to update or de-index it.
