Lontar : Journal of Communication Science, 11 (1), 2023 43 Copyright © 2023, Lontar : Journal of Communication Science GENDER SENSITIVE JOURNALISM IN HARIAN KOMPAS AS A MEDIA ADVOCACY AGAINST WOMEN’S SEXUAL VIOLENCE Lontar: Journal of Communication Science, 2023 Vol. 11 (1), 2023 Copyright ©2023, Islaq Hastita Hamzah, Gati Dwi Yuliana This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license DOI: 10.30656/lontar.v11i1.6194 https://e-jurnal.lppmunsera.org/index.php/LONTAR Article History Submission: 7, February 2023 Revised: 31, May 2023 Accepted: 1, June 2023 Islaq Hastita Hamzah *1 , Gati Dwi Yuliana 2 1 Universitas Pancasila Email: islaqhamzah@gmail.com 2 Universitas Pancasila Email: gatidwiyuliana@univpancasila.ac.id (* = Corresponding Author) ABSTRACT Cases of sexual violence against women are steadily increasing every year, as well as the news of these cases. Despite that, often the media exploits victims and their stories. Therefore, the media has a responsibility to support the victims to get their rights. Reporting with gender-sensitive journalism is a media reference in advocating for victims/survivors of sexual violence. This study aimed to determine the application of gender-sensitive journalism in Harian Kompas as a media advocacy against sexual violence. This study is based on the concept of Gendered Perspective Journalism, Gender Sensitive Journalism, Press Language in Reporting Sexual Violence, and Advocacy Journalism. This research applied qualitative research methods. The results of this study indicated that Harian Kompas covers cases of sexual violence based on the perspective of victims to protect victims and help the survivors to get justice. Furthermore, as a form of advocacy journalism, Harian Kompas also provides a large space for victims to speak out in the Harian Kompas. Harian Kompas pays close attention to the diction used when writing the news because wrong diction will encourage stigma and stereotypes for victims of sexual violence. Keywords: Sexual violence, Mass media, Gender-sensitive journalism, News, Women INTRODUCTION Journalists are the ones who construct a reality (Tamburaka, 2012). Thus, journalists play an important role in distinguishing between the image of reality and the actual reality. The media's content is the result of the construction of various realities by journalists, then compiling them into a story or a meaningful discourse (Suryadi, 2011). Reality is based on an issue raised in the news, built by journalists with a specific meaning and purpose. The media has a big influence on how people think. People behind the media screen have a significant influence on the process of producing, editing and disseminating news to the