An editorial that I co-authored ran in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. The piece is in response to media coverage of the suicide of a Philadelphia Firefighter. In a previous blog post following a celebrity suicide, I discussed the public health implications of the media coverage that follows. It can either encourage negative behavior in the audience by including unsafe and unnecessary details like detailing suicide methods...or it can encourage positive help-seeking behavior by including resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I encourage all bloggers, communication professionals, and journalists to review the expert recommendations on how to safely report on suicides.
I look forward to hearing your comments!
Hi Leah. I totally agree that everyone should take a look at the article mentioned in the post. The chart really caught my attention...Simply handling a situation one way instead of sensationalizing it makes a big difference. The tone and the message is transformed and takes on a different approach. Something as tragic + traumatizing as a suicide shouldn't be sensationalized! I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteLilia @ www.lilia-lifeinoh.blogspot.com