Discussion Guide
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-10
Grades 11-12

On Her Shoulders: Discussion Guide Discussion Prompts: Media Ethics

Discussion Prompts: Media Ethics

Do you think there should be ethical standards for how the media gathers and reports on stories of trauma including sexual violence?

Did the media in the film act in ways that you found to be unethical? If so, what are some examples?

What recommendations would you have for the media when engaging with people who have suffered traumatic events?

Can you identify any potential risks to other survivors like Nadia from their own community that could be linked to media reporting? What about relatives of survivors who are still in captivity?

In what ways do you think the media narrative about Murad and others like her might impact her specifically? What about other survivors and Yazidi women collectively?

Are you aware of any guidelines that exist to help journalists, photographers and editors know how to gather and report on stories of sexual violence?

What are the limitations of these guidelines?

What recommendations do you have to improve ethical reporting of sexual violence and other trauma, particularly in the context of war?

Sources

About the author:

Mallory Rukhsana Nezam

Justice + Joy

Mallory Rukhsana Nezam