Challenging the taboo: reporting suicide effectively

September 11, 2008

News judgment

Is it new? Is it interesting? Is it important? The human factor? Does it affect real people? What will the impact be? How do we tell the whole story?

What the protocol says:

“Individual suicides may be inherently newsworthy and need to be reported. In such cases, a responsible approach will consider the potential for news coverage to both contribute to cause further harm and to communicate positive messages that may save lives.”

An editor’s approach

Call a suspected suicide a “suspected suicide”

Work with the Coroner – and families Be careful around placement, headlines,

detail Provide mental health information Link readers to support systems Provide balance and context