“Mower death” sounds like something that means someone needs to go to Bunnings not a murder trial.

The mower didn’t die; a woman was allegedly murdered. These are not interchangeable concepts. The only reason to replace one with the other is to erase the woman and the man who allegedly killed her.

Violence is always a choice. So is a headline.

I’ve seen this article in a few different places with different headlines in different publications, so it’s possible (but not certain) that the journo sold it to a wire service.

This headline came up in a least two publications, so it’s impossible to know where it originated. But this is a trope not an individual problem.

Erasing an allegedly murdered woman and replacing her with the location or the murder weapon is an almost standard method of dehumanising women in headlines.


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Mybooks, It takes a Village to Teach Your Children About Consent, Fixed it: Violence and the Representation of Women in the Media, and Fairy Tale Princesses Will Kill Your Children are available now with free shipping inside Australia if you purchase from: www.JaneGilmore.com/books

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The Fairy Tale Princesses Will Kill Your Children Podcast in which I invited expert guest on the show to explore agism, women’s unpaid work, consent, power and silence, and coercive control. Find out more here.

Fixed It
FixedIt is an ongoing project to push back against the media’s constant erasure of violent men and blaming of innocent victims. If you would like to help fund it – even $5 a month makes a big difference – please consider becoming a Patron


Helplines

1800 RESPECT
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24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Ph: 1800 737 732
www.1800respect.org.au

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https://ntv.org.au/get-help/

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