Media Tips   

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Association of Suicidology and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania released "Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media" in August 2001. Here are excerpts of the report's suggestions and tips for journalists.

Descriptions of suicide in the news that contribute to copycat suicides:
-Inadvertently romanticizing suicide or...portraying suicide as a heroic or romantic act may encourage others to identify with the victim.
-Exposure to suicide methods through media reports can encourage vulnerable individuals to imitate it.
-Presenting suicide as the inexplicable act of an otherwise healthy or high-achieving person may encourage identification with the victim.
-Celebrity deaths by suicide are more likely than non-celebrity deaths to produce imitation.... [I]t is important not to let the glamour of the individual obscure any mental health problems or use of drugs.
-Research has shown that the use in headlines of the word suicide or referring to the cause of death as self-inflicted increases the likelihood of contagion.

Information the media should include:
-Conveying that effective treatments for most of these conditions are available (but underutilized) may encourage those with such problems to seek help.
-Acknowledging the deceased person's problems and struggles as well as the positive aspects of his/her life or character contributes to a more balanced picture.

Stories to consider covering:
-Trends in suicide rates
-Recent treatment advances
-Individual stories of how treatment was life-saving
-Stories of people who overcame despair without attempting suicide
-Myths about suicide
-Warning signs of suicide
-Actions that individuals can take to prevent suicide by others