Abstract

Since the latter half of the 20th century, feminist theorists have conceptualized femicide as the murder of women due to gender-based reasons, stemming from stereotypes that reinforce gender asymmetry. Although this crime has been legally recognized in Chile, feminist organizations assert that both material and symbolic protections for women's lives remain inadequate. This study investigates this insufficiency by analyzing the coverage of femicides in open-access digital news from the Valparaíso region. Employing a feminist perspective and qualitative methodology, it examines the narratives of 34 news articles published between 2020 and 2023, focusing on three cases of femicide in the region. The analysis evaluates whether these articles depict femicide as gender violence and/or reinforce stereotypes. The findings reveal a particularized portrayal of cases, often emphasizing mother-wife roles and neglecting the structural nature of these crimes. The conclusion uses the iceberg metaphor to illustrate frequent and occasional practices in media coverage that should be addressed in journalist training.