Tag Archives: reporting

Reporting Suicides is now Okay

The Australian Press Council, earlier this week, released new guidelines with respect to reporting suicide cases in the news.

This report in the Age outlines all the details.

We’ve covered this concept a lot in the past on Boxcutters and the trend to euphemise suicide has definitely waned in TV journalism.

We wonder if there will be an official statement instructing TV and radio journalists to be more explicit about suicide.

Considering that the statistics show increased suicides after a suicide report, will we see a spike in the number of suicides? Has the euphemism of “no suspicious circumstances” become so well-known now that it’s a bit ridiculous to continue with the ruse?