British newspaper coverage of child sexual abuse : relating news to policy and social discourses

This research explores the dominant meanings arising from British newspaper reportage of
sexual violence directed at children. The research employs a quantitative and qualitative
analysis to answer the following questions: What are the dimensions of child sexual abuse
that are covered? How do the media cover these (e.g. as straight news, editorials, opinion
columns)? How are offenders and victims portrayed? What sources are cited in stories?
What explanations are offered about the occurrence of child sexual abuse? The objective is
to: (a) describe the content of press reportage about child sexual abuse through quantitative
and qualitative content analysis and; (b) explain the nature of that content in terms of
better understanding journalism as a producer of meanings, specifically in relation to
coverage of child sexual abuse. In simultaneously identifying and comparing news
coverage, the research attempts to articulate the political and ideological functions of
language in newspaper coverage of child sexual abuse. It also attempts to develop
explanations for the discursive representation of child sexual abuse in the British press,
linking news discourse on sexual offending against children to the journalistic practices in
news production, the profile of the profession as well as broader prevailing socio-political
ideologies about the family, offending, childhood and risks faced by children. A close and
systematic analysis of news texts is important to understanding the role of the media in the
production of meanings about such a social problems.