This guide is for media makers (journalists, content creators, podcasters, bloggers, and civic actors who use media to influence societal change) sharing stories or information about technology-facilitated gender-based violence. If you haven't already, we recommend reading Rising Tides: Navigating the hidden currents of tech-facilitated gender violence first.

Technologies offer endless ways to connect, create, and learn. But they also have impacts and side-effects. How do they affect our world, communities, and environment? Journalists, content creators, podcasters, and bloggers play a role in helping people understand these technologies and their effects, especially when they cause harm.

Digital platforms can be used to control, silence, or harass. From unwanted messages and cyberstalking to sharing Non-Consensual Intimate Images (NCII), Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) is rising globally, making it urgent to raise awareness, give voice to survivors, and push for systemic change. Reporting and informing with care and integrity about TFGBV is not just about protecting survivors, it's about informing society, challenging stereotypes, and showing the complexity of the issue.

Are you creating or sharing information about TFGBV? This Data Detox guide will walk you through the essentials: what to know before you hit "publish," the do's and don'ts of covering TFGBV, and how to make sure your words truly help, not harm. You'll learn practical tips, first steps for becoming a safety conscious media maker, and why the way you frame a story matters so much.

Ready to find out why your words matter and how to use them for good? Let's go.

Safety First

For media-makers the digital world offers endless opportunities, but also risks like censorship, surveillance, and data leaks. Reporting on TFGBV can endanger both survivors and yourself. Staying safe means protecting your own and your sources' digital, physical, and psychological well-being. Safety isn't just a checklist, it's an ongoing process of assessing risks, verifying information, and investigating carefully online and offline.

By using simple practices and basic tools, you can develop a safety-focused mindset: adapting behaviors and attitudes to your context, style, and goals to protect yourself, your sources, and the evidence you gather. Before creating content, ask yourself: Who or what needs to be protected? And when selecting images, what visual choices support your reporting goals?

Key areas to protect:

• Yourself: Stay safe, minimize risks, and mitigate threats to yourself
• Your Contacts: People you engage with (sources, collaborators, colleagues, close contacts, etc.) and those whose information you have access to
• Your Data: Information you collect should be safe from being accessed by others and must be recoverable in case of loss, damage, or theft

Tip: The Do No Harm principle means you prioritize the safety and well-being of yourself and others, and help as much as you can without causing unnecessary harm. You can think of the simple ABC formula: Actions + Behaviors = Consequences. It assumes that all your behaviors and actions have consequences of some sort, be it positive or negative, or both. The idea is to not cause more risk or harm than there was before.

Learn more about safety first, the do no harm principle and how to nourish your investigation mindset by reading Exposing the Invisible's The Kit.

Better Ways to Phrase It

The words we use to tell stories about TFGBV matter. The way we shape the narrative can empower and protect survivors, but it can also spread misinformation, reinforce stereotypes, or amplify harm. Here are key guidelines for respectful and accurate language:

Language Guidelines:

• Ask survivors how they'd like to be described
• Avoid legal jargon unless clearly explained
• Use active voice to show who is responsible
• Watch out for coded language that carries bias

The Do's and Don'ts:

Describing the Abuse

• Do: Use phrases like "non-consensual sharing of intimate images"
• Don't: Use "revenge porn" - it implies the victim did something wrong

Describing the Motive

• Do: Use "targeted disinformation" and "gendered disinformation campaign"
• Don't: Use terms like "Twitter beef" or "viral moment"

Why language matters

The selection of wording and phrases changes the meaning of the story. For example:

• "Tech-facilitated gender-based violence" vs "Online drama" - The first accurately describes the seriousness
• "Non-consensual sharing of intimate images" vs "Revenge porn" - The first focuses on consent, not blame
• "Digitally manipulated sexual image" vs "Leaked nudes" - The first doesn't shift blame to the target

When images speak louder than words

Every image has the power to tell a story, to move people, spark emotions, and shape how your audience understands an issue. In the context of TFGBV, the visuals you choose can create entirely different narratives. Here are essential tips for selecting images that bring your stories and publications to life with impact and meaning:

Visual Guidelines:

• Use illustrations or graphics to explain tech abuse without showing real harmful content
• Avoid using real screenshots of abuse or threats, even if blurred, as they can retraumatize and spread harm
• Show survivors with images that reflect strength, confidence, and support, not helplessness
• Skip stereotypical or stigmatizing images like people crying in the dark or hiding their faces
• Use clear infographics or platform visuals to explain how the abuse works and its bigger context
• Avoid overly aggressive or "hacker movie" visuals that sensationalize or oversimplify the issue
• Get consent before using any identifiable photo of a survivor, and clearly explain the risks
• Protect anonymity with avatars, symbolic objects, or abstract visuals

Your to-go kick-off check list

Now that we have covered the basics of creating and sharing content on TFGBV, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get ready for the process.

Ask yourself: Am I ticking all the key boxes? Am I being safety-conscious here? Am I covering the essentials to ensure the content I create is safe, respectful, and helpful? Am I avoiding anything that could harm survivors, reinforce stereotypes, or slow down action and support?

For readers, viewers, or listeners of TFGBV content, this list is your "spot-the-problem" guide. It'll help you know what to look out for when you're reading an article, watching a video, or tuning into a podcast on the topic.

• Safety & Privacy of Survivors: Am I protecting the survivor's identity? Did I get consent before sharing the story? Am I avoiding amplifying harm? Is the survivor emotionally and digitally safe from retaliation after the story is published?
• Trauma-Informed Approach: Did I avoid sensitive or judgmental language? Am I avoiding sensationalism? Did I give the survivor control over their story? Have I avoided reinforcing gender stereotypes?
• Accurate & Respectful Language: Am I using correct terms? Did I avoid victim-blaming? Did I clearly explain the form of abuse? Have I included diverse voices and perspectives — not just male experts or official sources? Have I used inclusive language (e.g., "survivor" instead of assuming gender; "they" instead of defaulting to "she")?
• Context & Systems Analysis: Have I linked the case to wider patterns? Am I providing data or expert commentary to frame the issue beyond the individual case? Did I include context about how the tech platform enabled or failed to prevent the abuse? Have I considered how intersectionality (e.g., race, class, sexuality, disability, activism, public role) affects who is targeted and how?
• Legal & Tech Literacy: Do I understand and clearly explain the legal status of the behaviour in question? Have I accurately described platform responses, moderation failures, or policy gaps? Did I verify digital evidence carefully to avoid spreading disinformation?
• Supporting the Audience: Am I providing resources for readers? Did I avoid leaving the audience feeling hopeless by showing pathways to action or reform?
• Post-Publication Considerations: Am I monitoring for backlash? Have I sought legal or editorial advice? Do I have a plan for follow-ups?

Further Reading

Check out these additional resources for more in-depth guidance on reporting TFGBV with care and integrity.