ID is amplifying increased awareness around Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October with the launch of its “No Excuse for Abuse” campaign partnership with domestic violence organizations One Love Foundation and NO MORE. Jason Sarlanis, President of Crime & Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming, Warner Bros. Discovery, explains why the true crime network has a responsibility to step up.
What was the origin of the campaign?
This is something I am passionate about, and it’s near and dear to the hearts of all of us here at ID because so many of the stories around crime and relationships start from a place of intimate partner violence. Anything we can do to help educate our viewers about domestic violence, provide them resources for how to safely exit an unsafe scenario that they might be in, or even how to be a confidant for a loved one in an unhealthy situation, is mission-critical to us here at ID.
How did you decide on partners?
We’ve had a longstanding history with One Love Foundation, and with “No Excuse for Abuse” we’re taking that partnership to the next level. We’re also excited to bring another educational support organization, NO MORE, into the ID family with this initiative. Both of these organizations inspire a shift in the stigma surrounding domestic violence, and we are thrilled to partner with both of them to help elevate their tools and resources to ensure viewers are equipped to identify the various forms of domestic violence. Partnering with them helps us not just do this, but do this right.
How does the ID brand relate to the messaging?
ID is the number one network for true crime, and we take the commitment to our viewing audience to heart. With the sensitive and heartbreaking nature of true crime, we can’t just be purveyors of television content – we have a responsibility to be a place where people who identify with potentially harmful situations for themselves or their loved ones can go for resources. ID has an active audience that wants to make a difference: whether it’s helping capture 42 fugitives, as we have seen with In Pursuit with John Walsh, or activating to find missing persons that are featured on Disappeared. We tap into that desire to do good with our viewers, and we’re doubling down on that by kicking off our “No Excuse for Abuse” campaign to help empower those who may need it.
