{"id":{"repo_id":"uwtsd","oai_identifier":"oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:3785"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uwtsd/oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:3785","repository":{"repo_id":"uwtsd","name":"University of Wales Trinity Saint David","base_url":"https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"The Reporting of Rape in UK Online News: Examining the Potential Impact of the #MeToo Movement on News Framing","abstract":"Rape remains one of the most underreported crimes, and the way it is framed in the news influences public perceptions and discourse (Layman, 2020). News representation shapes societal attitudes, impacts legal and policy responses, and can influence survivors’ willingness to come forward (Schwark and Bohner, 2019). This dissertation aims to examine whether the #MeToo movement has catalysed a shift in the way rape is framed in online news by addressing the following research question: Has the #MeToo movement catalysed a shift in how UK online news frame stories of rape? To explore this, a thematic analysis was conducted from two major UK online newspapers, The Guardian and The Sun. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of 47 articles to identify recurring themes and framing techniques in the first six months of coverage. The findings show that both newspapers still primarily rely on harmful stereotypes, sensationalising cases and prioritising perpetrator status over survivor experiences. However, both newspapers show evidence of some progress; some journalists are adopting a victim-centred and socially conscious framing, calling for reform. This study highlights the ongoing impact of news framing on societal attitudes toward rape, reinforcing the urgent need for ethical journalism. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made in destigmatising rape survivors in news coverage during #MeToo, problematic portrayals persist. Greater accountability and trauma-informed reporting are essential to ensuring that news fosters a more accurate and supportive narrative surrounding rape.","abstract_html":"Rape remains one of the most underreported crimes, and the way it is framed in the news influences public perceptions and discourse (Layman, 2020). News representation shapes societal attitudes, impacts legal and policy responses, and can influence survivors’ willingness to come forward (Schwark and Bohner, 2019). This dissertation aims to examine whether the #MeToo movement has catalysed a shift in the way rape is framed in online news by addressing the following research question: Has the #MeToo movement catalysed a shift in how UK online news frame stories of rape? To explore this, a thematic analysis was conducted from two major UK online newspapers, The Guardian and The Sun. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of 47 articles to identify recurring themes and framing techniques in the first six months of coverage. The findings show that both newspapers still primarily rely on harmful stereotypes, sensationalising cases and prioritising perpetrator status over survivor experiences. However, both newspapers show evidence of some progress; some journalists are adopting a victim-centred and socially conscious framing, calling for reform. This study highlights the ongoing impact of news framing on societal attitudes toward rape, reinforcing the urgent need for ethical journalism. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made in destigmatising rape survivors in news coverage during #MeToo, problematic portrayals persist. Greater accountability and trauma-informed reporting are essential to ensuring that news fosters a more accurate and supportive narrative surrounding rape.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Morris, Megan"],"institution":"University of Wales Trinity Saint David","degree_name":"ma","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-06","date_published":"2025-06","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:53:05Z","subjects":["HV Patholeg gymdeithasol. Lles cymdeithasol a chyhoeddus","PN Llenyddiaeth (Cyffredinol)"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.grantnumber","label":"Dc Identifier Grantnumber","values":["UWTSD"],"render_values":[{"text":"UWTSD","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00003785","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Morris, Megan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-06-13"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-06"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.commercial","label":"Dc Publisher Commercial","values":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Traethodau Meistr","Institute of Education and Humanities: Humanities and Social Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3785/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Gosodiad"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["ma"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["HV Patholeg gymdeithasol. 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This dissertation aims to examine whether the #MeToo movement has catalysed a shift in the way rape is framed in online news by addressing the following research question: Has the #MeToo movement catalysed a shift in how UK online news frame stories of rape? To explore this, a thematic analysis was conducted from two major UK online newspapers, The Guardian and The Sun. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of 47 articles to identify recurring themes and framing techniques in the first six months of coverage. The findings show that both newspapers still primarily rely on harmful stereotypes, sensationalising cases and prioritising perpetrator status over survivor experiences. However, both newspapers show evidence of some progress; some journalists are adopting a victim-centred and socially conscious framing, calling for reform. This study highlights the ongoing impact of news framing on societal attitudes toward rape, reinforcing the urgent need for ethical journalism. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made in destigmatising rape survivors in news coverage during #MeToo, problematic portrayals persist. Greater accountability and trauma-informed reporting are essential to ensuring that news fosters a more accurate and supportive narrative surrounding rape."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Reporting of Rape in UK Online News: Examining the Potential Impact of the #MeToo Movement on News Framing"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.sponsor":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"],"dc:creator":["Morris, Megan"],"dc:date":["2025-06-13"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-06"],"dc:description.abstract":["Rape remains one of the most underreported crimes, and the way it is framed in the news influences public perceptions and discourse (Layman, 2020). News representation shapes societal attitudes, impacts legal and policy responses, and can influence survivors’ willingness to come forward (Schwark and Bohner, 2019). This dissertation aims to examine whether the #MeToo movement has catalysed a shift in the way rape is framed in online news by addressing the following research question: Has the #MeToo movement catalysed a shift in how UK online news frame stories of rape? To explore this, a thematic analysis was conducted from two major UK online newspapers, The Guardian and The Sun. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of 47 articles to identify recurring themes and framing techniques in the first six months of coverage. The findings show that both newspapers still primarily rely on harmful stereotypes, sensationalising cases and prioritising perpetrator status over survivor experiences. However, both newspapers show evidence of some progress; some journalists are adopting a victim-centred and socially conscious framing, calling for reform. This study highlights the ongoing impact of news framing on societal attitudes toward rape, reinforcing the urgent need for ethical journalism. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made in destigmatising rape survivors in news coverage during #MeToo, problematic portrayals persist. Greater accountability and trauma-informed reporting are essential to ensuring that news fosters a more accurate and supportive narrative surrounding rape."],"dc:format":["text"],"dc:identifier.doi":["10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00003785"],"dc:identifier.grantnumber":["UWTSD"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3785/1/Morris_M_MA_Thesis.pdf"],"dc:publisher.commercial":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"],"dc:publisher.department":["Traethodau Meistr","Institute of Education and Humanities: Humanities and Social Sciences"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Wales Trinity Saint David"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3785/"],"dc:subject":["HV Patholeg gymdeithasol. 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