The presence of women working in the news was 16 per cent in 2015, according to a study by the Global Media Monitoring Project.

Over 60 per cent of reporters in Maltese newsrooms were men, the study also found.

Women and men are also treated differently in news stories, according to a consultation document on domestic violence by Professor Brenda Murphy and lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic.

The document, on reporting domestic violence, which references the Global Media Monitoring Project, said women were identified around variables such as age and marital status when they appear in the news.

Women were also more likely to be described as victims, the study said. “The media has a responsibility to report this issue accurately,” the document said.

Stories should inform about the true nature of family violence by clarifying how many people are affected and in what way, the document proposed.

According to the 2016 Crime Annual Review, domestic violence reports are on the rise. The majority cite stalking, slight bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and psychological violence.

The news often repeats “myths” surrounding domestic violence, it said. They include framing it as an unpredictable, private tra-gedy, rather than a recurrent offence. The report said media houses should refrain from implying the victim asked for abuse by using phrases such as “they had relationship issues”, or asking why the victim stayed in the relationship.

Journalists should report on domestic violence in a way that does not compromise survivors’ safety. Reports should be supported by input from experts in the field.

Journalists must acknowledge that sexual violence is not just a one-off incident.

Violence occurs in a broader context in which power and resources are distributed unequally.