Domestic violence affects more than 10 million Americans every year. With this fact at the core, the Center for Health Journalism at the University of Southern of California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism will host its annual two-day symposium to offer journalists a road map on how to cover the public health epidemic with "nuances and sensitivity."

The center noted:

Domestic violence is a public health problem. We want to help journalists to cover it.

The symposium 

Highlighting that coverage is currently addressed as a criminal or private matter instead of a public health epidemic, the objective of the annual symposium is that journalism can play a decisive role in the fight against domestic violence.

The conversation will revolve around new approaches to restorative justice, trauma-informed interviewing, and the many ways an abuser can exercise control and cause psychological harm to their victims.

Sharing immersive strategies for reporting on domestic violence and its root causes, the symposium will take a look at how systemic inequalities play a leading but not exclusive role in the crisis of domestic violence.

Attendees will gain access to valuable information about how unaddressed trauma can shape the lives of both the perpetrator and victim. It will also explore how mistrust of the police can make it difficult to seek help, especially among communities of color and and the LGBTQ community.

What does the program look like?

The first session of the symposium will take place in person on the campus of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, at the Annenberg School of Journalism, on Friday, March 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In California, more than half of families have been touched by domestic violence, according to a 2017 study. Yet it is often treated as a criminal or private matter rather than a public health epidemic. Journalism can play a role in bringing about change and greater awareness. pic.twitter.com/Yix2egCOHN

— Center for Health Journalism (@ReportingHealth) February 22, 2023

The second day-long session will be held virtually via Zoom on Friday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“While journalists are welcome to attend from anywhere in the country, California journalists coming from outside Southern California are eligible for a limited number of $300 travel stipends. Sign up soon!” read a post from the Center for Health Journalism.

More info

The symposium also comes with a fund that will support domestic violence reporting across the country.

• Reporters will be eligible to apply to the Domestic Violence Impact Reporting Fund.
• Journalists selected as recipients of the Domestic Violence Impact Fund will receive five months of mentoring from a veteran journalist as they steer their journalistic projects to publication or broadcast.
• California journalists (or out-of-state reporters with California reporting ideas) will be eligible to apply for a reporting grant ranging in value from $2,000 to $10,000 from the Domestic Violence Impact Reporting Fund if they attend to both sessions. The deadline for applications is April 7.
• Recipients will also be eligible to compete for the Community Engagement Mentorship and a $1,000 or $2,000 Engagement Grant.

“For our engagement initiative, we are especially interested in projects that involve partnering with community-based organizations and their clients in first-person storytelling,” writes the Center for Health Journalism.

To register for the symposium and inquire about a travel stipend and Impact Fund grants, click here.