‘These cretins feel they have a social licence’: Daily Telegraph takes aim at domestic violence ‘cowards’
The Daily Telegraph has launched a powerful new campaign against domestic violence perpetrators, pledging to call out these assaults for what they really are – coward attacks.
In response to the alarming rise of domestic violence attacks in NSW – which included the death of a two-year-old and six-year-old boy and a five-month-old girl in a house fire just this week – the masthead is changing the language about the abusers in a bid to hold them accountable.
Where the law permits, the Daily Telegraph will now refer to any domestic violence incidents as “coward attacks”. This is an initiative that Mumbrella supports and will also be adopting moving forward for such news stories.
“It’s a cycle that just keeps on going. It’s almost like that conversation that goes on with gun laws in America where there’s that cycle of thoughts and prayers, something must be done, nothing gets done, and then there’s another attack,” Daily Telegraph editor Ben English told Mumbrella.
He also called on the government to get involved, saying domestic violence is a “cultural” problem.
“At some level, these cretins, these assailants feel they have a social licence to do what they do,” he explained.
“And they’re not. There’s not enough shame or accountability attached to what they do. Maybe, just maybe it starts to shift the culture as it did, for example, with the onset of the Me Too movement.
“These men are not big, they’re small, right? They’re the smallest of men and it should be called out for what they’re doing.”
English said the campaign is an ideal opportunity for the media industry to come together and be unified on an issue that needs immediate action.
“…I couldn’t think of a greater job outcome than other media outlets [supporting the campaign] and maybe they do it in their own way, but I couldn’t imagine there’d be a masthead or or a media company that wouldn’t share,” he said.
“The same level of frustration around this issue and shame actually, I mean, it’s such a great indictment of Australian society.”
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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@John Butterworth – that has to be the first time anyone has accused the Daily Telegraph of being far-left…
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The problem with DV is not a social problem but a policy, judicial and law enforcement problem
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Far-leftist Chardonnay Socialist media industry complains about DV scum getting off – but keeps voting for a weak, leftist, caring, softy-softy justice system for it’s perpetrators… Shrugs shoulders?
Makes a good way to sell papers though with outrageous headlines!
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@Hmm Only Daily Tele by name – you must think the CEO of MacDonald’s eat it too 🙂
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