ISVA FAQ’s: Talking to the Media

All survivors of sexual violence are granted lifelong anonymity in the press. This means that the media are allowed to report about cases which can include information about the perpetrators, but they are not allowed to publish any information that could identify the survivor in the case. This of course includes the survivors name and address but also includes anything that could lead them to be identified. For example, in a case where the perpetrator is the survivor’s stepfather, after a conviction at court, the media might report that he had been convicted of abusing a person known to him but it should not say that he has been convicted of abusing his stepdaughter as this could lead to the survivor being identified. 

Despite this, survivors do have the choice to waive their right to anonymity if they would like to. We have put this guide together to give information to survivors who are considering making this decision. Our position at Survivors’ Network is that this decision is down to the survivor alone to make. It can be an empowering choice to make but does come with some risks, so it is important that consideration is taken before acting on this. 

Rape Crisis England and Wales (RCEW) often get contacted by the press requesting to speak with survivors, so if this is something you are interested in, you can contact their Media and Communications Team, directly for more information and potential opportunities to speak with the press about your experiences. You can email them on media@rapecrisis.org.uk 

If you are considering speaking out publicly and waiving your right to anonymity, we would recommend seeking legal advice for any implications and risks this may carry for you. We would especially recommend seeking legal advice if you are considering speaking out but the perpetrator in your case was not convicted in court, as this can cause additional complications around defamation and you could be sued by the perpetrator. When we reference speaking out publicly, this includes any information put on social media as well. 

Whatever reason you have for wanting to talk to the media, is a valid reason. It is your right to choose and make the decision that feels right for you. It isn’t particularly common for survivors to waive their right to anonymity, but when they do, the reasoning may include trying to reclaim their story, finding it an empowering thing to do, or wanting to help other survivors speak out or feel less alone in their experiences. Sometimes people may also want to speak out if they haven’t managed to get justice through the police and courts process. However, if there hasn’t been a conviction in court, there are additional legal aspects to take into consideration. 

If you are considering speaking to the media or posting anything on social media, Survivors’ Network is here to support you in that decision as best as we can. However, it is also important that this is a carefully thought through decision. We have put together a list of questions that we would encourage you to consider before deciding whether to speak to the media or not. This list is not exhaustive and there may be other things you will want to think about before deciding. You may want to speak with friends or family, an ISVA if you have one or write down some reflections in a journal if it will help. 

Would you like to speak about your experiences anonymously or share your name and specific information about your case (there may be some legal considerations to take into account if there has not been a conviction in court in your case).  

• If you choose to speak about your experiences anonymously, are you prepared for some people who know you to potentially piece things together and work out the story is about you? This can be known as ‘jigsaw identification’.

Is there anyone in your life that you haven’t told about what happened to you, and may find out if you speak out publicly about this? Would you want to share with them first? 

How might it feel if people do find out about what happened to you? 

 How might it feel to potentially loose ownership of your story if a media outlet interviews you and write the story themselves?  

• How might it feel is the story is dropped or heavily edited down? 
• How might it feel if your story is re-used at a later date and when you are not expecting it? 
• How might it feel if you ask for a story to be taken down from a website/outlet, but this does not happen? 

What parts of your experience are you willing to share? 

Are there any parts of your experience that you don’t want to share publicly? 

Do you want to focus on a particular aspect of your experience, for example access to services, police process, court process, decision not to report to the police, your healing journey etc? 

 Are there any personal repercussions to you that could come from naming the perpetrator publicly? If so, how might you keep yourself safe around this? 

Are there any legal repercussions to you that could come from naming the perpetrator publicly, particularly if they haven’t been convicted? 

• What would you need to plan for or put in place around the time of release of your report? 

• Would you want to reduce your usage of or come off social media for a period of time? 

• What self-care would be helpful to put in place? 

• How can you best make use of support networks around you? 

There are different ways that the media may get in touch with you, or you may get in touch with them. Sometimes if your case has already been reported on, a journalist may approach the police to see if you’d be willing to speak with them about your experiences. The police will not give the journalist you name or any of your contact information unless you consent to this. You could also speak to the officer in charge of your case about speaking out publicly and they may be able to arrange this for you or put you in touch with someone who can. 

You can approach a media outlet of your choice, so a specific newspaper for example, and tell them you would like to talk to them about your experiences as a survivor or sexual violence. 

You may choose to share your story on your own social media, blog or other public website. 

Rape Crisis England and Wales (RCEW) often get asked if they are aware of any survivors who would be willing to speak to the media about their experiences. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, you can contact RCEW media team directly to make them aware of this. Equally, even if there have not been any specific requests at the time you contact them, they may have contacts with some journalists they can put you in touch with. 

At Survivors’ Network, we can’t advise you what you should do or decide for you, but we are here to support you in your decision and provide you with information to make an informed choice. 

There is no timeframe to speak out about your experiences, so it is important to take your time thinking about it and make a considered decision. We’d also encourage you not to make any decisions when you may be feeling clouded with emotion. For example, if there is a not guilty verdict at court you may be feeling devastated and angry and want to speak out about what that person has done to you. While it is completely understandable to feel that way, in that situation, it is probably best to sit with the decision for a while and work through how you are feeling before speaking out, so you don’t go ahead with something you can’t undo, or you may come to regret when you are feeling less clouded. 

If a media outlet is pushing you to decide sooner than you are ready to, you might want to think about whether they are empathetic or ethical enough for you to share your story with. You should never feel forced into sharing more than you are comfortable with or quicker than you are comfortable with. 

If you are considering posting on social media about your experiences, there are some additional things you may want to consider. While a journalist will know what they legally can and cannot write about (for example not naming the perpetrator if they have not been convicted), and will have access to legal advice around the story they are writing if needed, if you post on social media you will have to consider these things yourself. If your perpetrator has not been convicted, we would recommend seeking legal advice on what you can include. If you speak out about your perpetrator and name them, they can sue you for defamation. We cannot recommend specific solicitors, so it is important to do your research into this. There is a link in the ‘useful links’ section of this guide to the law on defamation, but it may be helpful to get a lawyer’s advice to make sure you fully understand what it means and the risks that come with speaking out. 

We mentioned ‘jigsaw identification’ earlier in this guide in terms of its application to survivors, but it is also applicable to perpetrators. Jigsaw identification means people being able to put pieces of information together, to work out who the story is about, so it may be clear to some people who the perpetrator is, even if you don’t name them directly. An example of this might be you writing about experiencing childhood sexual abuse by a priest. You may then mention the years the abuse happened in, and the name of the church and location. This could likely lead to people knowing who the priest was, at that church during those years, and therefore identifying who your perpetrator is. 

If you are considering speaking out on social media, you may want to think about whether you will do this on your personal account, meaning all the people that know and follow you will see this, and know it is about you, or whether you want to make another anonymous account, or use a website or blog. If you create an anonymous social media account, you may want to think about who will be able to see this and consider any links it may have to you. For example, if you set the anonymous account up linking your email and phone number, whether this may notify some people that know you, that you have made the account. 

• Law on defamation https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26  

• A list of campaigning groups and forums for survivors Campaigning Groups & Forums for Survivors — Centre for Women’s Justice