Mens Human Rights Ireland and the Irish Examiner

On 17 December 2014 the Irish Examiner published an article under the heading “Domestic abuse increases at Christmas, warns charity”. The report was based on an interview with the director of Women’s Aid, an organisation that provides services to victims of domestic violence.

The advocacy group Men’s Human Rights Ireland (MHRI) wrote to the editor of the Irish Examiner claiming that the portrayal of domestic violence in the article was “completely one-sided”, and “uniformly characterises men as the sole perpetrators of domestic violence” in breach of Principle 8 (Prejudice) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.  MHRI requested that the article be taken down off the online edition of the Irish Examiner and that an apology be published.  Alternatively they suggested that the newspaper agree to publish a “balancing article written by ourselves”.    

The editor of the Irish Examiner and a representative of MHRI had a telephone conversation on foot of the complaint, following which MHRI made a formal complaint to the Press Ombudsman’s Office.

During the conciliation process the editor said that he had spoken at some length with the complainant about the matter he raised and said he thought that that was “the end of the matter”.  He stood by the contents of the article stating that he was of the strong view that it did not breach Principle 8 of the Code.   He said that the article did not focus on domestic violence by women against men as this issue was not addressed by Women’s Aid.  He also drew attention to an article previously published by his newspaper which had featured the services of Amen (an organisation that provides help to male victims of domestic violence) to highlight the fact that the findings of such organisations are also covered by his newspaper.   

MHRI responded to the editor of the Irish Examiner by stating that an examination of the newspaper’s website suggested that the Irish Examiner characterises “men as the sole or vast majority of perpetrators of domestic violence …” This MHRI claimed “flies directly in the face of the reality that men and women are approximately equally likely (to) suffer from domestic abuse”. MHRI sought an undertaking that the Irish Examiner in its coverage of domestic violence would “endeavour to frame future articles in a gender neutral tone as much as possible and avoid the use of prejudicial images …”

As it was not possible to resolve this complaint by conciliation it was referred to the Press Ombudsman for a decision.

Principle 8 of the Code of Practice states; 

Newspapers and magazines shall not publish material intended or likely to cause grave offence or stir up hatred against an individual or group on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, colour, ethnic origin, membership of the travelling community, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, illness or age.

I can find no evidence of a breach of Principle 8 of the Code of Practice in the article published by the Irish Examiner on 17 December.  The director of Women’s Aid was quoted in the article saying “But for many women contacting us recently, the reality of Christmas is far from what it should be.  It is a time of hurt, fear, intimidation, cruelty and sudden flashes of violence directed at them and their children”. The article then quoted other remarks by the director on the levels of calls Women’s Aid receives and the services her organisation provides.  I cannot see how the article by quoting these remarks can be regarded as causing grave offence or stirring up hatred against a group based on gender (in this case men).  MHRI may take offence or believe that the article stirred up hatred against men by the concentration on male-perpetrated domestic violence, but this is not sufficient grounds to uphold the complaint.  The interview was with the director of an organisation that provides services to women and children who are victims of domestic violence, so her remarks were confined to male originated violence. She was simply describing the experience of women who called her organisation’s helpline.  She was not denying in any way that some perpetrators of domestic violence are women.  

20 February 2015