The Czech Rapeblic: Rape mythologies in the media coverage of Dominik Feri case
(2024) MKVM13 20241Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- In 2017, the #MeToo movement sparked a massive reckoning with a vast continuum of sexual abuse. From the moment the U.S. actress Alyssa Milano pressed the button ‘post’ on Twitter and unleashed a flurry of responses, the landscape of sexual misconduct allegations changed forever. Through social media platforms, #MeToo has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard, fostering a sense of community and solidarity among survivors and victims while galvanizing broader social and political movements for change. In its essence, #MeToo represents a form of civic engagement, as it mobilizes collective action and advocacy to address systemic issues of gender-based violence and inequality.
This thesis posits that media representation... (More) - In 2017, the #MeToo movement sparked a massive reckoning with a vast continuum of sexual abuse. From the moment the U.S. actress Alyssa Milano pressed the button ‘post’ on Twitter and unleashed a flurry of responses, the landscape of sexual misconduct allegations changed forever. Through social media platforms, #MeToo has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard, fostering a sense of community and solidarity among survivors and victims while galvanizing broader social and political movements for change. In its essence, #MeToo represents a form of civic engagement, as it mobilizes collective action and advocacy to address systemic issues of gender-based violence and inequality.
This thesis posits that media representation plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions and understanding of sexual violence and rape. By analyzing the portrayal of rape, victims, and rape mythologies in the Czech media, particularly within the context of the high-profile case of Dominik Feri, this study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersection between the #MeToo movement and media representation of rape. Recognizing the power of media narratives to either reinforce or challenge the prevailing myths and ideologies surrounding rape, this thesis seeks to illuminate how the five most readable online newspapers in the Czech Republic shape the public perspectives of sexual violence.
Drawing on the qualitative content analysis, Barthes’ analysis of mythologies, and the principles of Science from Below, this thesis reveals that media representation of rape is undergoing a transformative shift influenced by the civic practices of the #MeToo movement. This shift mainly manifests in presenting direct allegations of the victims within the media discourse and other important stakeholders such as feminist organizations, legal experts, and psychologists who challenged the hegemonic power by strongly questioning the existing rape myths and raising awareness about the obstacles the victims usually faced from judicial process and public. However, the shift is constantly threatened by enduring challenges such as entrenched gender norms and unequal power dynamics. Media reporting of rape still grapples with sensationalism, the prevalence of the perpetrator’s voice, and unequal access to counter-hegemonic viewpoints that fight for an equal society. Rape myths are intensified by prominent politicians who are allowed to question the statements of victims without further knowledge about the case (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9151474
- author
- Riedererová, Lucie LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- rape culture, rape myths, media representation of rape, #MeToo movement
- language
- English
- id
- 9151474
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-17 15:42:45
- date last changed
- 2025-02-18 14:43:00
@misc{9151474,
abstract = {{In 2017, the #MeToo movement sparked a massive reckoning with a vast continuum of sexual abuse. From the moment the U.S. actress Alyssa Milano pressed the button ‘post’ on Twitter and unleashed a flurry of responses, the landscape of sexual misconduct allegations changed forever. Through social media platforms, #MeToo has provided a platform for marginalized voices to be heard, fostering a sense of community and solidarity among survivors and victims while galvanizing broader social and political movements for change. In its essence, #MeToo represents a form of civic engagement, as it mobilizes collective action and advocacy to address systemic issues of gender-based violence and inequality.
This thesis posits that media representation plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions and understanding of sexual violence and rape. By analyzing the portrayal of rape, victims, and rape mythologies in the Czech media, particularly within the context of the high-profile case of Dominik Feri, this study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersection between the #MeToo movement and media representation of rape. Recognizing the power of media narratives to either reinforce or challenge the prevailing myths and ideologies surrounding rape, this thesis seeks to illuminate how the five most readable online newspapers in the Czech Republic shape the public perspectives of sexual violence.
Drawing on the qualitative content analysis, Barthes’ analysis of mythologies, and the principles of Science from Below, this thesis reveals that media representation of rape is undergoing a transformative shift influenced by the civic practices of the #MeToo movement. This shift mainly manifests in presenting direct allegations of the victims within the media discourse and other important stakeholders such as feminist organizations, legal experts, and psychologists who challenged the hegemonic power by strongly questioning the existing rape myths and raising awareness about the obstacles the victims usually faced from judicial process and public. However, the shift is constantly threatened by enduring challenges such as entrenched gender norms and unequal power dynamics. Media reporting of rape still grapples with sensationalism, the prevalence of the perpetrator’s voice, and unequal access to counter-hegemonic viewpoints that fight for an equal society. Rape myths are intensified by prominent politicians who are allowed to question the statements of victims without further knowledge about the case}},
author = {{Riedererová, Lucie}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Czech Rapeblic: Rape mythologies in the media coverage of Dominik Feri case}},
year = {{2024}},
}