Reporting of suicide in the Australian media

Abstract

Objective: The media monitoring project aimed to establish a baseline picture of the extent, nature and quality of reporting of suicide by the Australian media, with a view to informing future strategies intended to optimize reporting of suicide. Method: Newspaper, television and radio items on suicide were retrieved over 12 months. Identifying and descriptive information were extracted for each item. Approximately 10% of items were rated for quality, using a rating scale based on criteria from Achieving the Balance, a kit designed to promote awareness among media professionals of issues relating to suicide. The scale ranged from 0 (poor quality) to 100 (good quality). Results: Reporting of ..