Digital Media and Gender Violence: The Case of Venezuela and Nicaragua

This article focuses on the role of digital media in the treatment of gender violence in humanitarian crisis situations, specifically in Venezuela and Nicaragua. To thoroughly explore this topic, we employed the technique of content analysis on 260 news articles and conducted in-depth interviews. The results of the study show that digital media can be used to perpetuate gender violence by normalizing it and minimizing its severity. In addition, it is emphasized that other problems such as political, social, economic, or health crises, i.e., humanitarian crises, can increase women’s vulnerability to violence. The importance of the role of digital media in decision-making during a humanitarian crisis is highlighted. Due to their high levels of consumption, these media have a significant impact on how the problem of gender-based violence is perceived and addressed. In order to prevent and adequately address gender-based violence in humanitarian crisis situations, there is an urgent need for investigative journalism that explores deeper into the issue at hand.