Table 1.

Factors for Journalists and Editors/Producers to Consider Before Covering Suicide-Related Content

Weigh the story’s newsworthiness and the public’s need to be informed with potential harm related to contagion. Be familiar with your organizational guidelines relating to reporting on suicide. If the decision is to proceed with coverage, plan and/or discuss how harm might be minimized. Seek advice from suicide prevention experts. Be especially cautious when reporting on celebrity or youth suicide deaths, as these currently have the strongest evidence for contagion. Consider how a vulnerable person may identify with the suicidal behaviour/people depicted, and consider steps that might minimize this. Consider the impact of the report on: those thinking of suicide or potentially at-risk for suicide, those bereaved by suicide, including attention to respect for their privacy and grief, the journalist who is reporting the story. Consider the appropriate approach/format. Suicide reporting should generally be done by health reporters rather than other journalists (e.g., crime reporters), as they are best positioned to contextualize the issue within the broader topic of mental health; if other journalists do report, they should at least consult with guidelines and/or health reporter colleagues. Where possible, long-form reporting is recommended, as it allows journalists the opportunity for nuanced discussion and may avoid presenting the causes of suicide in an overly simplistic fashion.