Coverage of Femicide Cases in Kyrgyz Online News

Abstract

This master’s thesis examines the discursive representation of femicide in the online news media in the Kyrgyz Republic based on feminist media theory and using the Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) as an analytical framework. The empirical data includes news coverage of three cases of femicide Burulai Turdalieva, Aizada Kanatbekova, and Aizirek Eralieva, in the form of 15 articles from different news outlets and interviews with 4 practicing journalists. Key findings revealed dominance of police voices in these news, where femicide is portrayed as isolated incident, using language that subtly shifts blame on the victim, while excusing perpetrators via jealousy narratives, which reinforce patriarchal norms. Interviews with journalists contextualised the findings and shed light on discursive practices in covering femicide cases. These areas of concern can be improved without restricting media freedom through such means as adopting thematic framing, citing diverse sources, and gender-sensitive trainings.