Citation

Jenkin GLS, Slim BE, Collings S. Crisis 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Suicide and Mental Health Research Group, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000629

PMID

31657641

Abstract

Background: Periodically, a debate around suicide reporting becomes prominent in the media. At one point, the Chief Coroner of New Zealand made a public call to the media to open up discussions around suicide and its reporting. Following this action, a high-profile debate emerged in the media. Aims: Our aim was to identify the key players in this debate and examine their perspectives. Method: From a Factiva search of news items from high-circulation newspapers, we identified key stakeholders and documented their perspectives using a framing matrix. Results: Seven stakeholder groups were identified with coroners and health service providers dominant in the news. Framing around the issues varied. There was consensus among the majority of stakeholders supporting continued public health type coverage of the issue of suicide, but a number of differences in levels of support for the reporting individual suicides. Limitations: Although specific to New Zealand, the findings will be of interest to countries considering reporting restrictions. Conclusion: The debate around suicide and its reporting appears to have been obfuscated by the conflating of two different types of media reporting on suicide: news media coverage of suicide as a public health issue and the reporting of individual suicide cases.

Keywords: suicide, media, stakeholders, framing, debate

Gabrielle L. S. Jenkin, Suicide and Mental Health Research Group, University of Otago, 23A Mein Street, Newtown, PO Box 7343, Wellington 6242, New Zealand, gabrielle.jenkin@otago.ac.nz

Language: en

Keywords

debate; framing; media; stakeholders; suicide