Abstract (eng)
With heterosexual relationships carrying the potential to turn into lethally violent relationships for women, as well as with an increase in the number of femicides in Austria, this paper deals with the media portrayal of these femicides. Articles from the online platforms of the Austrian daily newspapers der Standard and Kronen Zeitung from 2020 are examined, using the suggestions for violence-preventive reporting from the booklet GewaltFREI leben - Verantwortungsvolle Berichterstattung (2014) as an analytical basis. The quantitative and qualitative content analysis according to Rössler and Mayring, respectively, shows that despite isolated differences, there is a general need to catch up with the standards of violence-preventive reporting within both media organizations. The terms "Femizid" or "Frauenmord" are hardly used to describe said crimes, instead resorting to trivializing, individualized, and voyeuristic descriptions. The level of implementation of the booklet’s suggestions seems inadequate overall, although a slight tendency toward more sensitized and responsible reporting can be seen in der Standard.