News media attention to the impact of the COVID pandemic on interpersonal violence: An analysis of the evolution of frequency and content from 2020-2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and service providers were aware of the consequences of social conditions on interpersonal violence. Although news media were instrumental in bringing attention to interpersonal violence, there is a lack of research on the news media trajectory of attention to interpersonal violence following the pandemic. In this research, we analyzed 605 news media articles published between 2020 and 2023 related to the pandemic and interpersonal violence to assess the patterns of coverage. We found an evolution of the themes covered in news media articles, as well as the victims’ services and resources communicated through these articles.