A Tool to Analyze News Coverage of Suicide and Suicide Prevention

Background: Suicide prevention is unique among other public health topics in that research has demonstrated that inappropriate and excessive news coverage can create “copycat” suicidal behavior and in the creation of expert consensus recommendations to provide guidance to journalists (www.reportingonsuicide.org)

Program background: One component of the California statewide suicide prevention social marketing campaign is to improve news coverage of suicide and to foster better relationships between suicide prevention programs, advocates, survivors and media.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  Following the release of revised consensus recommendations in 2011, a California-based project created and applied a tool to analyze statewide media coverage. The tool was created with input by experts from around the country and was designed to allow for pragmatic use. The tool analyzes whether news coverage encourages suicide prevention by including resources for help (such as a crisis center telephone number), warning signs of suicide, and appropriate actions to take. It also measures whether coverage may encourage suicide contagion by romanticizing suicide, providing too many details on method and location, or simplifying the causes of suicidal behavior. The tool was piloted on a small sample and then applied retroactively to more than 350 news stories released in the latter half of 2011. News items were identified through keyword searches in Nexis for print and in Vocus for television. A total sample of 290 print articles and 36 broadcast stories were selected and coded for content. The analysis provided baseline understanding of how well California television and print news outlets are currently following the consensus recommendations. Excessive detail on the manner and method of death, lack of information on community resources, and quotes from non-expert sources were the most common problems identified. 

Conclusions: Prior research has shown that improved reporting practices have resulted in fewer “copycat” suicides. In addition, research has shown that the effectiveness of suicide prevention media campaigns can be limited if there are no available resources. Media outlets can reduce stigma associated with help-seeking by routinely including information on available services.

Implications for research and/or practice: A follow-up analysis will be conducted of news coverage in late 2012 after advocacy efforts have occurred. These efforts include disseminating the consensus recommendations broadly throughout the state, including a Spanish language version to Spanish language media outlets, and training county and local suicide prevention practitioners to advocate and build productive relationships with media contacts. Topline indicators of change will focus on increases in the provision of crisis line numbers, messages of hope or recovery, prevention information, inclusion of warning signs, using quotes from appropriate suicide prevention experts, and decreases in details of suicide methods and exact locations.