The Relative Visibility of Rape Cases in National Popular Magazines

Abstract

This content analysis examines the nature of rape cases selected for coverage by magazines and the types of characteristics that differentiate high- from low-publicity cases between 1980 and 1996. Concerns pivot around whether articles on rape continue the historic focus on stereotypical stranger, gang rape committed by lower-class minority men. Findings indicate that articles are broader than covering stereotypical “real” rapes exclusively, and factors such as race, class, victim-offender relationship did not differentiate the high- from low-visibility cases. The equivocal nature of the findings are viewed in the context of the backlash against feminism and the resistance to it. Conclusions draw on finer details of cases (e.g., stranger vs. acquaintance “pickups”) to broaden the conceptualization about rape to better mirror the complex realities of victimization.