Covering Suicide
Economic hardship, social isolation and the rise of social media may be in part to blame for the increase in suicide being reported nationwide, especially among middle-aged Whites. To help you report on this difficult topic, Poynter has assembled some of its guidance around covering suicide — attempted, completed and otherwise.
Best practices for covering suicide responsibly
Suicide made headlines several times this week. How can journalists, celebrities and anyone who might make a…
Can journalists prevent suicide clusters?
Suicides sometimes happen in clusters. Epidemiologists and suicide prevention experts have often claimed that media…
A witness to suicide, one reporter pieces together the troubled backstory
When Chicago Sun-Times reporter Frank Main showed the first draft to his wife after weeks…
5 ways to prepare your newsroom to cover suicide more effectively
Stories about heart disease and cancer, the first and second leading causes of death in…
SPJ Approves New Code of Ethics
The Society of Professional Journalists approved a new Code of Ethics at the Excellence in…
How to cover the Robin Williams story responsibly
The suspected suicide of comedian Robin Williams is an opportunity for journalists to give more…
Can journalists prevent suicide clusters?
Suicides sometimes happen in clusters. Epidemiologists and suicide prevention experts have often claimed that media…
Will TV’s long love affair with car chases come to a screeching halt as Fox broadcasts suicide live?
After Fox inadvertently aired live video of a man in Phoenix shooting himself Friday following…
Journalists at Tampa TV station use skill, care, expertise to cover child’s suicide
Recently, journalists at Tampa's WTVT showed that with skill, thought and a little extra time…
How to Tell a Teen Suicide Story
Journalists usually avoid suicide stories. It is especially difficult when the death involves a child…
Teen suicide rates increase
<span style="font-weight: bold"> A government report shows the largest single-year rise in suicide rates in…
From Shame to Suicide: Is It Ever That Simple?
Two months ago, a television weatherman from Tampa, Fla., killed himself. John Winter, a <a…
Covering Suicide — Attempted, Completed and Otherwise
First, we have to say we don’t know whether Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens actually…