Beyond the Story: Guidelines for safe media reporting of abuse against girls and women in sport

While sport is often celebrated as a space for empowerment and achievement – and promoted as a vehicle for gender equality – it has not escaped broader patterns of violence against women and girls. When abuse occurs, how we, as public media, report on these stories matters. Our duty is to give those who experience abuse the dignity of being heard on their own terms.

These guidelines were shaped through a series of interviews with journalists, editors and media professionals from the EBU community who had experience in reporting on abuse in sport. They offer practical guidance to report ethically, interview survivors with sensitivity and care, and protect their own well-being in the process.

Our view is that effective guidance on safe reporting must rest on both a deep moral responsibility to serve women and girls whose voices are often unheard, and the technical skill and knowledge to help their stories resonate deeply with audiences.

We invite all those creating and shaping content on abuse in sport to embrace these guidelines and incorporate them into your work. In doing so, you play an important part in raising awareness and sparking conversations that have the potential to be both impactful and transformative for all those affected.