Changing the message about suicide

The EDC Newsroom

At a recent gathering in Washington, DC, working journalists gathered to learn how they can report responsibly on suicide – both accurately and in ways that encourage people at risk to get help. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and other suicide prevention organizations partnered with the journalism-focused Poynter Institute to offer the workshop, “Covering Suicide and Mental Health.” According to Jerry Reed, director of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and one of the workshop’s presenters, “part of that messaging has to be that suicide is preventable.” One positive example of the power of the media is from Utah, where a very successful 30-minute special on suicide that aired in 2013 and emphasized prevention, resilience, support, and recovery for those at risk prompted a surge in calls to the state suicide and crisis hotline. The reporters at the workshop learned about current data on suicide and mental health, errors in popular assumptions about suicide, and methods for telling stories that take the problem seriously without sensationalizing it. “I was surprised at what I took away from the Institute,” said participant Candice Madsen. “The storylines we keep producing on suicide may not match up with what’s actually occurring.”

Spark Extra! Check out these Social Media Guidelines, developed by TEAM Up and endorsed by many suicide prevention or ganizations.