September 16, 2020

ATLANTA -  The Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV) celebrates journalists and media outlets who cover the issue of domestic violence in a way that furthers the goal of ending violence against women in our state. Responsible Coverage Award recipients are leaders in their field whose reporting leads to greater public understanding of violence against women and the myriad ways in which the community can play a role in ending it.

This year, GCFV recognized author and journalist Rachel Louise Snyder. 

Rachel Louise Snyder is an award winning author journalist. Her print work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times magazine, Slate, Salon, the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, the Chicago Tribune,  the Atlantic, the New Republic, and others. In her most recent work, No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us (May 2019), Rachel presents a compelling work displaying her talent as an investigative journalist with the literary prowess of a novel. No Visible Bruises reveals that one of America’s most urgent social problems takes place behind closed doors, and that the most dangerous place for a woman, statistically, is her own home. Whether we call it domestic violence, private violence, or intimate terrorism, it has a far more pervasive impact on our society than many realize. 

No Visible Bruises received the J. Lukas Work-In-Progress Award from the Columbia School of Journalism and Harvard’s Nieman Foundation. It was also named one of the New York Times “Top Ten” books of 2019. Rachel holds a B.A. from North Central College and an M.F.A. from Emerson College. Currently, Snyder is an Associate Professor Creative Writing and Journalism at American University in Washington, DC.

"I am truly humbled by this award. When I travel around and talk to people who have done this work for twenty, thirty, forty years and they feel the urgency of it as much today as when they began, I feel a great responsibility to live up to the example set by these tireless advocates. Never has the issue of domestic violence felt as grave as it does to me right now, but never has moving the dial felt so achievable, either. I will try, in my writing and in the landscape of my vision, to live up to this beautiful award. Thank you," stated Snyder in response to receiving the award. 

“The Commission is truly honored to present the Responsible Coverage Award to Rachel Louise Snyder for her captivating and necessary journalistic work embodied in No Visible Bruises. From beginning to end Ms. Snyder takes us on a journey that emphasizes stark realities about domestic violence and challenges our understanding and work with both victims and offenders,” said Stephanie Woodard, Chair of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. 

The Commission’s 26th annual family violence conference was held virtually for the first time on September 14-16, 2020. The theme of this year’s conference was Crafting a Coordinated Community Response: Working Together to Address Family Violence. Over 500 local and national stakeholders attended the conference, including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, advocates, survivors, faith leaders, counselors and community members.

About GCFV: The Georgia Commission on Family Violence, created by The Georgia General Assembly in 1992, is charged with developing a comprehensive state plan for ending family violence in Georgia. If you or someone that you know is being impacted by domestic violence, call 1-800-334-2836 to speak with a domestic violence advocate.

Press Contact: April Ross, [email protected]