“A jewel of mine”: The murder of Maple Batalia and Gendered Violence in the Mainstream News Media

This thesis interrogates the ways in which Intimate Partner Homicide is represented by mainstream news media in Vancouver, British Columbia. By conducting a close reading of articles related to the murder of Maple Batalia between September 2011 and December 31 2012, this thesis examines how ethnicity, citizenship, and immigrant status inform news media coverage of violence, and asks whether these representations challenge or reify the dominant gendered narratives surrounding Intimate Partner Homicide. In particular, the thesis explores how South Asian masculinities are constructed by the mainstream news media via the representations of Batalia's father and her accused killer.