Fixed It

by Jane Gilmore

On average, at least one woman is murdered by a current or former partner every week in Australia. Far too many Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence. Only rarely do these women capture the attention of the media and the public. What can we do to stem the tide of violence and tragedy?

Finally, we are starting to talk about this epidemic of gendered violence, but too often we are doing so in a way that can be clumsy and harmful. Victim blaming, passive voice and over-identification with abusers continue to be hallmarks of reporting on this issue. And, with newsrooms drastically cutting staff and resources, and new business models driven by rapid churn and the 24 hour news cycle journalists and editors often don't have the time or resources bring new ways of thinking into their newsrooms.

Fixed It demonstrates the myths that we’re unconsciously sold about violence against women, and undercuts them in a clear and compelling way. This is a bold, powerful look at the stories we are told – and the stories we tell ourselves – about gender and power, and a call to action for all of us to think harder and do better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Audiobook, Politics, Australia, Crime, Sociology

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2019

About the author

Jane was the founding editor of The King’s Tribune, which started in 2007 as a newsletter for a Elwood wine bar and ended in 2014 as a national online magazine with a roster of hugely talented writers and a large and loyal readership.

She was now a freelance writer, with a particular interest in feminism, politics, media and anything else that happens to catch her eye.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[✨ Jasmin ✨]

I'm not giving Fixed It a rating because I think rating a book like this doesn't encapsulate the complexities that this book covers - It definitely has the feeling of academic text. (I listened to the audiobook read by the author while I read along in my physical copy)

There's also a lot of discussion around very sensitive topics. Jane Gilmore put it on herself to add trigger warnings where the most potentionally harmful chapters are and for that, I nod my hat to her. This book is incredibly confronting, especially to women. Seeing all the the statistics and evidence in the same place is mind numbing. The writing was very well done and like I said, it felt like reading something academic of nature. A hard read but an eye opening one - one that you now can't close your eyes too because you see it everywhere.

'This book is mostly about the way the media reports men's violence against women and it hasn't been a pretty picture. However, despite all the terrible examples I've included, there is reason to hope the book will one day become a curio, interesting only because of its description of what used to be rather than what is.'

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was a thought provoking and this issue has definitely been in the media a lot more.

It was a 3.5 for me. I enjoyed the personal stories a lot more than the statistics.

[AnoushkaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two words: thank -and - you, Jane Gilmore. This book is a much-needed critique of the misogynistic media framing of men's violence, and also, its routine trivalising of women in general. It thoroughly analyses the landscape of the media and provides useful insider information into how commercial media operates. It defines media roughly as a mirror that reflects society and also, as a conduit that feeds/translates news from power (e.g. business, politics) to the regular person. Here, we can see that media itself wields considerable power as it seeks to define reality for the public. This gets problematic when we consider that these gatekeepers are mostly white, male and middle-class.
The project which inspired the book and title seeks to illuminate how media headlines often erase the male perpetrator and that a crime occurred e.g. 'woman found dead' is more common that 'man murders woman'. Furthermore, headlines and content in media often minimise and trivalise sexualised violence - for example, rape is conflated with sex, even when the victim is a child.
This book would be especially useful to media/comms undergrad students as it illustrates how the relatively new shifts from the older one-way transmission models of media (e.g. paper, TV, radio) to new internet and social media platforms have enabled more audience participation and power in speaking back to these traditional gatekeepers of information. Far from the former monoliths, the new media is now a 2-way transmission wherein editors are often forced to revise stories due to public outcry. Furthermore, this book provides inspiration for any 'minority' group alienated by the white male heterosexual overlords as it shows that this group now needs to listen to criticism and to apply it in order to remain competitive in a consumer-focused heterogeneous society.
Gilmore is sympathetic to the plight of individual journalists impacted by freelancing and the sped-up news cycle that digitalisation has enforced - but also holds them to task for their responsibility for contributing to cultural myths around violence and sexist stereotypes. In all, this book is
agood critical review of how the media, as with other institutions, is facing an impetus to turn away from its old guard of white middle-class male supremacy.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Gilmore got so sick of seeing news headlines about violent crime which either blamed the victim, lauded or hid the perpetrator or sensationalised the event that she started a movement called 'Fixed It'. In this, she takes headlines and rewrites them with a red pen as they should be written, then posts them on social media. Although it hasn't completely changed how the media portray women, particularly those who are either victims or survivors, every now and then her actions get through.

This book is essentially a summary of what she's fighting against. It starts out by outlining how sexist and sensationalist most reporting of violent crime against women is, offering lots of statistics and examples which show some of the worst that journalism can produce. She talks a lot about domestic violence, child rape and sexual harassment, and she doesn't pull punches.

My only criticism of the book was that I felt it tried to be a bit too broad. I applaud the author for seeking to bring to light all kinds of journalistic issues, but the shift to the coverage of female politicians could have been covered in a whole other book, and I feel took the focus off the bigger issue brought up by the book about crime against women.

The audiobook was read by the author which was fabulous and you could hear her passion in every sentence. I hope this movement continues in its fight, because while things stay as they are, the public perception of violence against women will always be skewed.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so great and so necessary. Jane Gilmore's no nonsense approach to the issues will arm you with every fact and commonsense response you've ever needed to change the minds of people around you. Some of the statistics in Australia are, frankly, confronting if not downright terrifying, but that just shows that this is a problem we should no longer be ignoring. This book, and this issue, is nothing short of urgent.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece. This book was enjoyable and easy to read (in the literal sense, not in the emotional one). I wish everyone would read it. Gilmore explains her point of view clearly and presents all the facts to back it up. I am going to use this book as my bible whenever I'm in an argument with someone about eliminating men's violence against women and the role of the media. Loved it.

[Alice Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The current statistics have it that on average a woman is killed by a current or former partner every 10 days in Australia. The media has a significant role to play in how this is reported. Many papers choosing to mark these killings as the woman’s fault for driving the man to the act or emasculating him by being successful. This absolutely must change.

The book is well written and easy to follow. There is little assumed knowledge but also does not talk down to the reader. I would recommend it as a read on the topic though it can leave a disappointing feeling that in the 4 years since publication and even longer that this issue has been discussed and petitioned on this morning I read another headline blaming a woman for being too successful so her ex felt the need to kill her and her children. This should have placed the blame at his feet but instead he was cast as a man pushed too far. I look forward to the day when gendered violence is talked about without blaming the victim.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, researched, and presented, this book is incredibly important to the discourses around gender inequality, violence against women, and the language used to convey these horrific events by the media and those in charge.

I can only hope that it serves as protagonist of change.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would definitely recommend listening to this!

Jane Gilmore wrote it in a hitting no bullshit way that’s really eye-opening to the way media favours a man. Every topic in this book SHOULD be obvious. She is right - once you start noticing, you can’t stop!!

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook, it was a really enjoyable delivery of some familiar and right on content.

[Emma Potter-Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting, not anything in particular that I didn’t really know already but a good intro for readers new to the subject. At times felt like a lot of content packed into the book, eg discussions about media portrayals of violence against children felt like it was added in with not a lot of thoughtful interrogation

[Arushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter was unnecessary, in my opinion. It consisted of definitions that anyone remotely familiar with feminist discourse would know. The succeeding chapters however were very interesting

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Gilmore like Clementine Ford is not afraid to challenge the status quo, looking at all aspects of news media , and informing all of us on how gendered language is used everywhere.

I am very embarrassed to say that I didn't really pay attention to headlines before, but this book has shown me how female victims are erased or not acknowledged when reported in newspapers.

I love the idea of her fixing the article headlines , and how some of them have actually been updated.

Both Jane Gilmore and Clementine Ford have received so much hate and harassment for speaking up on behalf of women that it bogs my mind.
I had to wince so many times at horrific accounts that some women had to endure and how they were not listened to and ignored.
This book has echoed a lot of what has been written in Boys Will Be Boys: Power, Patriarchy and the Toxic Bonds of Mateship by Clementine Ford.
Fixed It is a jam packed with stats book but also very compelling. It also emphasises the injustice when it comes to excusing men for rape, domestic violence and/or murder.
This reminds me of another book I read by Jess Hill See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control and Domestic Violence where author tries to understand why do men commit domestic violence.
Overall I love how Jane Gilmore courageously tackles head-on misrepresentation of women in all aspects of today's life. Amazing book. Highly recommended.

[Jackie McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Fixed It hard going. With an almost brutal precision, Gilmore sets out the structures & mechanisms that hold women back. It’s a depressing list of media and politics intersecting with contributing things like beauty myths, rape myths, advertising & film all uniting into what seems to be an insurmountable wall for us to leap over. “The statistics can be eye-wateringly boring to pore over, but such collections of data show that feminists are not simply a bunch of whingeing killjoys when we talk about the cause and affect of shutting women out of power structures.” (Page 235) For a feminist like myself who had already followed along everything from the (frankly bizarre) interest Gillard’s ear lobes, to the horror headlines about Mayang Prasetyo’s murder by Marcus Volke, to the apologist commentary about rapist and athlete, Brock Turner, it was a depressing litany of moments that made me livid with rage; so I had to read it in small doses, insulated by fiction. That said, I am glad Gilmore had the stomach to academically set out this mostly depressing analysis of the situation of (mostly white - she highlights race needs its own book) women across Australia, the UK and America.

[Kylie Purdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skim read a lot of this. Not because it wasn't good to read, but because it's stuff that I have read so many times before. What fills me with despair is the fact we still need books like this to be written. What fills me with even more despair is the fact the people who need to read this are not the people who will. Do I sound cynical? That would be because I am.
As Jane Gilmore points out things are changing. Media organisations are more likely to consider the way they word their headlines. Victims are named, perpetrators are not named "good blokes" and victims aren't blamed. However, Gilmore's website Fixed It, still has plenty of fodder to work with.
The reality is I skim read this because I'm sick of reading about appalling statistics about women's representation in media, sport, politics. I sick of the #notallmen rhetoric and I'm tired of this battle we fight for myself and my daughter.
Is this book essential? Yes. Is it worth reading? Yes. It even gives me some hope, but change cannot come soon enough.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start seeing it, you see it everywhere.

This is a phenomenal book that takes a deep dive into how violence against women is reported in the media. Not only this, but it also delves into why - is it the limited representation of women in media and politics? Is it a case of 'its how it has always been reported'? Or is it something more insidious like the underlying beliefs of society?

Jane Gilmore presents the statistics in an engaging and stark way. These are tied in with real headlines from media outlets and personal accounts from dv survivors.

This is another brilliant example of the wake up call that our world needs. Be prepared for a serious emotional response to this book from anger and rage, sadness and hopelessness, pride and awe of survivors stories, and finally, hope.

[Giulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on Jane Gimore's online work of the same name, "Fixed It" is a must read for anyone who consumes any form of news and media. This book was born from Gilmore's work where she posts "fixed" news headlines that originally failed to accurately and appropriately report on men's violence against women and sexual abuse. In the book she is able to further unpack the myriad factors all contributing to the perpetuation of myths about men's violence against women and the media's complicity in this.

Anyone who has ever heard someone say (or has ever said) "domestic violence is equally committed by both men and women", need to read this book! This book is also for anyone who values critical thinking and looking beneath the surface of clickbait and news headlines

[Daisy G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was informative, covered a number of important topics, and paid respect to survivors of domestic and family violence. I think this is important reading for people who work within this sector to refresh their knowledge of the interrelation between media reporting, politics, and the other male-dominated systems that can excuse or reinforce gender-based violence. At times, it was difficult to read this book, not due to a failing of the author, but because the topics themselves are infuriating and confronting and remain systemic issues in society. But this book also provided some hope and discussed changes that have already occurred / that are emerging.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If a man and a woman meet on Tinder and the man ends up raping the woman, it is guaranteed the word Tinder will appear in the headline before the man, the woman or the rape. If he met her at a party, a book shop or in front of the cabbages at Aldi, their meeting wouldn't rate a mention. But Tinder creates a frenzy because women who actively and confidently act on their sexual desires are the epitome of 'bad' women. 'Good women' wait passively for men to want them. They are the objects of desire, not autonomous people with their own feelings. Women who seek out sex on Tinder are therefore perceived as inviting violence. It's an insidious and pernicious form of victim-blaming.”

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, it's all too easy to compile all the horrendous stats and examples of violence against women and women's disadvantaged position in Australia. This book is best explaining the author's campaign to fix media headlines about violence against women, which is a brilliantly simple way to highlight the problem. The later chapters about pop culture and sport have a sense of being added to extend it to book length. But this is still a powerful read one can only hope reaches the right audience – not just the already converted.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you familiar with Jane Gilmore's 'fixes' to news headlines? It's not surprising that she continues to have regular material to work with, but that doesn't make it any less astounding and depressing. Her book examines gendered violence, and in particular the language used to describe that violence. Gilmore provides a thorough analysis of the media industry (newsrooms drastically cutting resources, and business models driven by the relentless 24-hour news cycle) which provides important context for discussion about victim blaming and over-identification with abusers.

Gilmore intersperses parts of her own experience with journalistic reporting. I found the 'reporting' sections occasionally got bogged down with facts and figures, which I suspect would have been better read than listened to.

This is unquestionably an important book but as I listened, I had the uncomfortable feeling that Gilmore is preaching to the converted - the people who 'should' read this book, won't (and although we might expect that changes in reporting are driven by editors and journalists, as Gilmore describes, the move to online news puts the consumer in a powerful position).

[dot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst the premise was interesting and the stats where well researched sometimes it felt like the books went on off on a tangent about men that just wasn’t what I was there for. I understand that this kind of work needed prefaces and disclaimers, but I really was interested in the language used in journalism and I felt it just kept apologising to men for the actions of other men. Still! I think this is valuable work, and even if I think it wasn’t strong enough when it did talk about language and how it’s used and how crime reporting has to be written about I enjoyed learning.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oof...I started reading this book 6 months ago and had to put it down. I picked it up again as part of Nonfiction November. This is a book about bias, spin, and the pernicious way that language related to violence and crimes against women affects our overall opinion of these crimes.

I feel like this needs to go on every reporter judge and MPs desk to remind them to check their bias and work to do better.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO needed, and unfortunately holds up too well as we still see these issues with journalism. Reading this book filled me with absolute rage for all women who have been objectified and sidelined by the press who profit off horrors done unto them.

This should be mandatory reading for journalists, reporters, or anybody who writes/speaks about sexual or gender-based violence on a public platform.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written primarily for journalists and reporters, Fixed It brings to light how many headlines and news articles engage in victim blaming and reduction of magnitude when reporting on sexual crimes and rape. It is an important read for anybody and now, after reading it, I see these sorts of headlines all the time.

[Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book - an important read not just for women. Jane Gilmore covers many complex issues with clarity, heart and statistics to back up the numbing reality women face. Although some sections do seem rushed the book provides painful insight into the world of media and reporting of violence against women.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at how the media represents women, in particular violence against women, and how victims are so often blamed for their own rape or murder while the perpetrators are portrayed as ‘good’ men. It also covers the abuse of children which is often reported as ‘child sex’ or a ‘sexual relationship’. It’s not always easy reading but it is important. Highly recommended.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, recommend every word of it from cover to cover. Journalism isn’t a subject I’ve thought a lot about in the past (aside from being vaguely disgusted by the blatant right-wing media bias) and this was very informative. Interesting, well written, and backed by credible data & statistics

[Smitchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and at times disturbing look at how the language used by the media affect our perceptions of domestic violence and reflect deeply held (and often so ingrained that we no longer see it) misogyny, classist, and racist attitudes held by the (frequently) older, male, white journalists and editors.