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Abstract
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OBJECTIVEs This study investigated the actual circumstances of suicides and related factors based on TV program pages in newspapers.
METHODS Information was extracted from the television schedule columns of one major newspaper introducing programs from 2004 to June 2009. During information extraction, reliability was maintained by having 2 researchers specializing in mental health make determinations independently. We examined the column for program names and introductions of 6 broadcast TV channels within the television schedule for data analysis. After information was extracted using the established selection criteria regarding suicide and related information, information extraction was performed for sub-themes in the TV programs. Information was also classified with regard to specialization and program genre or other related context as well as the presence or absence of an experiential narrative. In addition to carrying out the qualitative classification of these collected information data, we compared the numbers and proportion (%) in chronological order and context. Moreover, programs dealing repeatedly with one case were analyzed for trends in the contents of program introductions and in the media.
RESULTS Depending on the season, some programs constantly broadcast about suicides, mainly in spring and autumn. Most of these programs air on Tuesday and Wednesday. We also analyzed programs that repeatedly discussed the same case and identified eight cases repeatedly discussed by more than ten different programs. We also considered bullying, homicide, and depression, which appeared most frequently as subthemes of suicide. An unprofessional approach was observed in 504 programs (81%), whereas only 47 (7.6%) showed expertise.
CONCLUSION Depending on the season and day of the week, suicide is constantly broadcasted on TV programs. We also considered mental health because bullying was a common subtheme in this context. An unprofessional approach was seen in most programs. We also studied programs that repeatedly discussed the same case because overexposure of offenders in programs can lead to secondary suicides.
Language: en |