Media Guidelines
MediaGuidelinesfor Reporting Suicide1
Microgen/stock.adobe.com2Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide Samaritans 2020
ContentsForeword4by Professor Roy GreensladeIntroduction510 things to remember when reporting suicide6Reporting suicide, research and evidence7Best practice reporting tips8Dos and don’ts8Additional things to consider12Suicide the facts143
ForewordOne of the most memorable stories I covered as a junior reporter inthe early 1960s concerned a young boy who had taken his own life.Memorable because it taught me one of the most important lessonsin journalism: there are consequences to what we publish.I made the mistake of writing exactly how the boyhad died. My editor, just a little wiser, deleted someof the details before my copy ever reached print.He was not, however, nearly scrupulous enough.Two weeks after our story appeared, another boytried to imitate the technique. Fortunately, he didnot die. A retired police officer who had joined theSamaritans visited our office to tell us where wehad gone wrong.More than 50 years later, most editors andjournalists do tend to treat the coverage of suicideswith sensitivity. Nevertheless, deciding what shouldand should not be published or broadcast remainsproblematic. It is always a challenge because of theneed to take account of three factors: fulfilling thepublic interest; respecting the private hurt of thebereaved family; and minimising the possible effecton other vulnerable people.or cavalier reporting. We need to exercise care inthe use of language and, especially, in the writingof headlines. There is, sadly, a stigma aroundsuicide and we should not make matters worse.In every case, we must avoid publishing anythingabout the manner in which someone has takentheir own life in order to avoid the risk of imitation.To reveal the method is to invite imitative suicidalbehaviour and this is particularly relevant whensomeone famous, a celebrity, is involved. Similarly,and for the same reason, we need to give carefulconsideration how we report on so-called clustersof suicides.These are, by their nature, reactive responses. Butthe media has a pro-active, positive role to playwhen reporting suicide. We should ensure that ourreports are appended by advice to people on howthey can seek help.There is a public interest in reporting on suicide. Wemust not ignore it. Society should be aware that aperson has died and, in the broadest of terms, howit occurred. The factual disclosure of deaths is one ofjournalism’s most important tasks. To do otherwise,to suppress the information, opens the door to illfounded conjecture and distressing rumours.Finally, lest any journalist, lest anyone, thinkthat these self-censoring measures amount toa negation of press freedom, then they need toremind themselves that, with freedom, comesresponsibility. Nothing justifies us journalists tocause harm. Our guiding light on whether or not topublish must always be the public interest.Our humanity should ensure that we take care inhow we report a suicide. It is unacceptable to add tothe grief of family and friends through sensationalistBy Professor Roy GreensladeJournalist, Media Commentator and HonoraryVisiting Professor, City, University of London4Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide Samaritans 2020
IntroductionSuicide is a major public health concern and is thereforea subject that is very much in the public interest.While sensitive reporting can inform andeducate the public about suicide and the signsto look out for, there is strong and consistentresearch evidence that some forms of newsreporting lead to increases in suicide rates.Media coverage can influence how people behavein a crisis and their beliefs about the options opento them. The research shows that certain types ofmedia depictions, such as explicitly describing amethod and sensational and excessive coverage,can lead to imitational suicidal behaviour amongvulnerable people.For example, in the five months following RobinWilliams’ suicide in 2014, there were 1,841 moresuicide deaths in the USA compared to the sametime period from the previous year – a 9.85% rise.In contrast, some forms of reporting can help savelives. Coverage describing a person or characterseeking help and coming through a difficult timecan serve as a powerful testimony to others thatthis is possible, and can have a protective influenceover audiences.Stories can highlight that suicide is preventable anddirect vulnerable people to sources of support. Weknow from international research that when mediaguidelines are followed this has a positive effectby improving reporting standards.Suicide is a very complex topic that presents adistinct set of challenges for journalists, who mustbalance reporting on a sensitive issue and informingthe public while considering what influencecoverage may have on vulnerable people, includingthe possibility of imitational behaviour. At the sametime, avoiding intrusion into the grief and shock ofthe bereaved.These guidelines are advisory and are in no wayintended to limit press freedom. Their purpose is toreinforce industry codes of practice and editorialpolicies, to support journalists and programmemakers in producing the highest standardsof coverage of suicide. They offer practicalrecommendations and tips for covering the topicin what is a challenging and evolving mediaenvironment. They are informed by extensiveinternational research into media portrayalsof suicide and wide consultation with mediaprofessionals, academics, and those withlived experience.Samaritans has worked closely with journalists,programme makers and media organisationsover many years to support responsible coverageof suicide. These media guidelines are central tothis work. As well as the core guidelines, there is aseries of online resources outlining further advicefor specific aspects of covering suicide, includingworking with people who have been bereaved,reporting on inquests and content for documentariesand drama. These are available on the mediaadvisory section of our website.Samaritans’ Media Advisory Service also providesfree advice and training to support informed andsafe coverage. Journalists and programme makerscan get in touch directly with enquiries about suicidecontent, including breaking news.Suicide is a really difficult topic to getright and the training really helped theteam forge a greater understanding ofthe need to take a responsible approach.Talking through the issues undoubtedlyalso helped grow confidence in portrayingsuicide and its effects in a sensitive way.Will Banks, Assistant EditorBBC Radio Oxford5
10 things to rememberwhen reporting suicide2Avoid reporting methods of suicide in articles,such as describing someone as having died byhanging, particularly in headlines.Include references to suicide being preventableand signpost sources of support, such asSamaritans’ helpline. This can encouragepeople to seek help, which could save lives.When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – dayor night, 365 days a year. You can call them forfree on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org,or visit www.samaritans.org to find yournearest branch.345676Avoid dramatic headlines and strong termssuch as ‘suicide epidemic’. Never suggest thatsomeone died instantly or that their death wasquick, easy, painless, inevitable or a solutionto their problems.Steer clear of language thatsensationalises or glorifies suicide.Don’t refer to a specific site or location aspopular or known for suicides, for example,‘notorious site’ or ‘hot spot’ and refrain fromproviding information, such as the height of abridge or cliff.Avoid dramatic, emotive or sensationalpictures or video footage. Excessive imagerycan glamourise a death and lead vulnerableindividuals to over-identify with the deceased.Avoid excessive amounts of coverage andoverly prominent placement of stories, such as afront page splash or making it a lead story, anddo not link to previous stories about suicide.Treat social media with particular caution andavoid mentioning or linking to comments, orwebsites/forums that promote or glamourisesuicide. Similarly, it is safer not to opencomments sections on suicide stories andcareful consideration should be given aroundthe appropriateness of promoting storiesthrough push notifications.Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide Samaritans 202089Including content from suicide notes or similarmessages left by a person who has died shouldbe avoided. They can increase the likelihood ofpeople identifying with the deceased. It mayalso romanticise a suicide or cause distress tothe bereaved family and friends.Speculation about the ‘trigger’ or causeof a suicide can oversimplify the issue andshould be avoided. Suicide is extremelycomplex and most of the time there is nosingle event or factor that leads someoneto take their own life.people are more susceptible to10 Youngsuicide contagion. When covering thedeath of a young person, do not give undueprominence to the story or repeat the use ofphotographs, including galleries. Don’t useemotive, romanticised language or images –a sensitive, factual approach is much safer.Coverage that reflects the wider issues aroundsuicide, including that it is preventable, canhelp reduce the risk of suicidal behaviour.Include clear and direct references toresources and support organisations. terovesalainen/stock.adobe.com1
Reporting suicide –research and evidenceA significant body of academic research from across the world, known asthe Werther effect, has found links between certain types of reporting ofsuicides and increased suicide rates.For instance, stories that include descriptionsof the method of suicide and where coveragehas been overly prominent, extensive orsensationalised, can lead to imitational suicidalbehaviour. Some people are more susceptible tothis effect than others.What does the research tell us?Dramatic headlines that explicitly reference asuicide method can have harmful effects andpotentially lead to imitative behaviour. If peoplewho may be vulnerable, such as people with mentalhealth problems, young people and those who havebeen bereaved are provided with details aboutsuicide methods, it can lead to more deaths usingthe same method. In some circumstances, this hasled to the introduction of new, highly lethal methodsof suicide into populations, resulting in an overallincrease in suicide deaths. People who survive asuicide attempt, and most do, get a second chanceat getting support and appropriate treatment.Those using highly lethal suicide methods get nosecond chance.The research literature identifies the phenomenonknown as ‘suicide contagion’. This occurs when asuicide or attempted suicide serves as a ‘model’or example for subsequent suicidal behaviour. The‘model’ could be a famous person or celebrity, butcould also be a relative, neighbour or friend living inthe local community. The contagious effect may beprecipitated by pervasive grief or over-identificationwith the person who has died, or the circumstancesin which they took their own life.Young people are a particularly vulnerable audiencein relation to media coverage of suicide. They aremore susceptible to imitational suicidal behaviourand more likely to be influenced by the media thanother age groups. Young people are also at greaterrisk of contagion if they have been affected by asuicide. Often the deaths of young people receivedisproportionate, emotive coverage compared withother deaths by suicide, which can increase the riskof influencing imitational suicidal behaviour.Another smaller body of evidence shows thatsensitive portrayals of suicide, focusing on someoneovercoming a crisis, can have a protective influence.This is known as the Papageno effect. Coveragedescribing a person or character seeking help andcoming through a difficult time can serve as apowerful testimony to others that this is possible.This type of coverage can encourage people to seekhelp and has been linked to falls in suicide rates.There is abundant international evidencethat media reporting and portrayals ofsuicide can be extremely influential. Poormedia practice can cause further loss of life,especially in more vulnerable groups such asthe young and people with mental healthproblems. On the other hand, careful andresponsible media handling of this importantissue can contribute to suicide prevention.Professor Keith Hawton, DirectorCentre for Suicide Research,University of Oxford7
Best practice –reporting tipsThe current media environment is a very demanding one forjournalists and reporting on suicide can be particularly challenging.Samaritans’ media advice team is availableto provide support when covering suicide andself-harm at mediaadvice@samaritans.orgSamaritans also offers confidential briefingsand advice sessions for media outlets.Avoid mentioning suicide methods Providing details of suicide methods has beenlinked to increases in suicide rates and shown toinfluence vulnerable people to imitate suicidalbehaviour. Placing information about a methodin a report, for example describing someone ashaving died by hanging, can reinforce awarenessof specific methods, and increase perceptions of itseffectiveness, especially if prominently featured. Avoid providing details of a location if it is apublic place such as a cliff, bridge or railway line.Publishing information about locations is likely toresult in more deaths at that location. Never describe a suicide method as quick, easy,painless or effective. Referring to a person ashaving ‘died instantly’ for example, is not advised. Steer clear of portraying anything that is easyto imitate, for example where the materials oringredients involved are readily available andproviding details on how it was carried out.This can increase risk by presenting suicide aseasily achievable.There are many ways to produce sensitive,informed coverage of suicide, here are somehelpful tips:Dos and Don’tsThink about the impact of coverageon your audience Your story might have an effect on vulnerableindividuals or people connected to the personwho has died. Providing information on howto contact organisations where people canfind support, including helpline numbers, canencourage people who are struggling and maybe experiencing suicidal thoughts, to seek help.This could save lives. It can be helpful to include trigger warnings at thebeginning of a piece covering suicide, allowingthose who may be vulnerable to make a choiceon the suitability of your content for them. Remember that even good news stories, wherea person has survived and recovered from asuicide attempt, can run the risk of leading toimitative behaviour if they refer to a suicidemethod or location. Please bear this in mind ifcovering a suicide attempt made by a celebrity.When life is difficult, Samaritans arehere – day or night, 365 days a year.You can call them for free on 116 123,email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visitsamaritans.org to find your nearest branch.8Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide Samaritans 2020Our research has demonstrated howsuicide in public places is influenced bymedia reporting, and this is why locationsand methods should not be reported. Byfollowing these guidelines journalists andcommentators can play an important rolein preventing suicide and saving lives.Siobhan O’NeilProfessor of Mental Health SciencesUlster University
Details of novel or unusual suicide methods shouldnever be reported. Incidences of people usingnew or unusual methods of suicide have beenshown to increase following coverage. Reportingmay also drive people to the internet to researchthese methods. More information on reporting ofsuicide methods and inquests is available on themedia advisory section of our website. While mentioning a previously unknown methodis not advised, this also applies to known orcommon methods. Mentioning a known methodcan generate prolonged awareness of thatparticular method and reinforce perceptions thatit is lethal, effective or easily available.Apply extra consideration toheadlines for suicide stories Avoid naming the suicide method or using theword ‘suicide’ in headlines, this can significantlyincrease the risk among vulnerable groups. Usealternatives such as ‘taken his/her/their own life’. Headlines can often sensationalise or oversimplifythe context of suicide, for instance by linking aparticular event such as a job loss directly to aperson’s death. For example, a headline thatreads ‘bullied to death’, would sensationaliseand oversimplify suicide, and this could increasethe risk of influencing suicidal behaviour amongothers who may be bullied.Avoid oversimplification andconsider the wider context It is important not to brush over or underplaythe complex reality of suicide and its devastatingimpact on those left behind. Oversimplification of the causes or perceived‘triggers’ for a suicide can be misleading. Asmentioned in the previous section, the suggestionthat a single circumstance or incident, such asbullying, job loss, relationship breakdown or abereavement, was the cause increases the risk ofcontagion. Vulnerable people experiencing similarissues are more likely to over-identify with thedeceased when a single reason is given. Combining references to perceived ‘triggers’,for example debt problems, with descriptions ofan easy to imitate suicide method in the samereport could put people who are vulnerable andexperiencing similar problems, at greater risk. Avoid making unsubstantiated links when thereare none. For example, don’t refer to otherswho have died recently by using names orphotographs or reporting they died at the samelocation. This can unintentionally link the deathsand can be misleading and distressing to families. Steer clear of presenting suicidal behaviour as anunderstandable response to a crisis or adversity.This can contribute to unhelpful and riskynormalising of suicide as an appropriate responseto distress.Samaritans’ media advisory service is aninvaluable help for editors looking to reportdifficult stories in a sympathetic and responsibleway. The guidance provided by Samaritanshas helped the Telegraph & Argus many times.I believe every journalist should be aware ofthe service – and the training provided bySamaritans – as a key part of their job.Nigel BurtonGroup Editor of Newsquest Yorkshire9
Aim for non-sensationalising,sensitive coverage:Research shows that the more sensationalisedthe reporting, the greater the potential impact onsuicidal behaviour. Take care not to sensationalise any aspect of astory. Breaking news, instant publishing, socialmedia reach and competition for clicks can allplace journalists under increased pressure whenproducing reports, increasing the possibility ofsensational coverage. Before publishing, consider if the draftheadline or sub-headline dramatises the story,includes the suicide method, or uses emotive orsensationalist terms. Avoid contributing to locations becoming‘known’ suicide sites. Labelling a location as a‘suicide hot spot’ or ‘notorious site’ increasespeople’s awareness of the method and location,potentially transforming it into an iconic sitewidely known for suicides, which can drawvulnerable people to the location. Don’t refer to a possible rise in suicides in aspecific place or among a particular group asan ‘epidemic’, ‘spate’ or other similar term. Twoor more people taking their own lives who, forexample, share a similar background, age or livein a similar geographic area may be coincidence.Steer clear of implying a connection where theremay be none. Evidence suggests that reference toclusters can lead to additional suicides. Comments or photographs provided by witnessesfollowing a suicide should be avoided as thesemay include graphic details and speculation, which10Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide Samaritans 2020can increase the risk of imitative behaviour andcould cause distress to bereaved families. Suchindividuals are unlikely to know that what they aresaying could increase t
suicide methods, it can lead to more deaths using the same method. In some circumstances, this has led to the introduction of new, highly lethal methods of suicide into populations, resulting in an overall increase in suicide deaths. People who survive a suicide attempt, and most do, get a second chance at getting support and appropriate treatment.
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