The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies
Showcasing Policy Research across Sheffield Hallam University
Following the outrage at the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard on the streets of London, the government has (finally) agreed to ask police forces to record crimes motivated by misogyny (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56435550).
I am angry and tired of being angry. I am scared and tired of being scared. I am grieving for another lost woman, and tired of grieving for lost women. In the wake of the Sarah Everard case, women around the country have been expressing their collective grief, anger, pain and fear. She was just walking home. She followed all the ‘rules’ (it wasn’t late, she was appropriately dressed, etc. etc.).
The importance of communication is never more apparent than at times of significant events. From the UK leaving the European Union, to Harry and Meghan stepping away from British monarchy, it is through communication that our realities materialise. Indeed, as scholar Daniel Nelson reflects, it is a truism that ‘wars start and end with words’. It is no surprise then that a deep-rooted concern with getting communications ‘right’ lays at the heart of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic. From government messaging to public health advice, from media debate to conversations with our families, our awareness of the need for successful communications ripples through our consciousness as we try to overcome this disease.
The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies 