Do Australian media apply recommendations when covering a suicide prevention campaign?
| Date | 17 June 2019 |
| Published date | 17 June 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-10-2018-0071 |
| Pages | 135-147 |
| Author | Renate Thienel,Marc Bryant,Gavin Hazel,Jaelea Skehan,Ross Tynan |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Do Australian media apply
recommendations when covering a
suicide prevention campaign?
Renate Thienel, Marc Bryant, Gavin Hazel, Jaelea Skehan and Ross Tynan
Abstract
Purpose –Media reporting and portrayals of mental illness and suicide can play an important role in shaping
and reinforcing community attitudes and perceptions. Depending on the content, a report about suicide can
have either a negative (Werther-) or a positive (Papageno-) effect. Evidence-informed recommendations for
the reporting of suicide in Australia are provided under the Mindframe initiative. The purpose of this paper is to
assess the application of these recommendations in broadcasts associated with one of the largest national
campaigns to promote suicide prevention, the R U OK? Day, a yearly campaign of the Australian suicide
prevention charity R U OK?
Design/methodology/approach –The sample consisted of 112 (32 TV, 80 radio) Australian broadcasts
discussing the R U OK? Day suicide prevention campaign during the month preceding the 2015 campaign
and on the national R U OK? Day itself. Broadcasts were coded for medium (TV or radio), content (suicide
focus, mental illness focus or both) and consistency with Mindframe recommendations.
Findings –Over 97 per cent of broadcasts used language consistent with Mindframe recommendations.
None of the broadcasts used images that negatively portrayed mental illness or suicide; there were no
instances of using mental illness to describe a person’s behaviour; and no sensationalizing or glamorising
terminology was used in the broadcasts. However, less than 40 per cent of the broadcasts included
help-seeking information (e.g. helplines) and some of the broadcasts used negative or outdated terminology
(e.g. “commit”suicide; “suffering”from mental illness).
Originality/value –The present study is the first to examine consistency with reporting recommendations
around a national suicide prevention campaign (R U OK? Day). The results can steer improvements in current
reporting and inform strategies to optimise future reporting.
Keywords Suicide, Prevention, Media recommendation
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Suicide is a global public health concern, with an estimated 800,000 suicide deaths each
year (WHO, 2017). In Australia, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that
2,866 people died by suicide in 2016 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017). As risk factors
associated with suicide are diverse, suicide prevention approaches (e.g. Lifespan in Australia,
www.lifespan.org.au/ or SUPRANET in Europe Gilissen et al., 2017) suggest an
integrated systems approach (WHO, 2014). One of the recommended strategies is to
ensure accurate and sensitive portrayal of suicide in the media (WHO, 2014), as evidence has
shown a clear link bet ween the reporting o f suicide and subseq uent suicidal beha viour (for
review see Pirkis and Blood, 2001). This has led to the development of reporting
recommendations in more than 30 count ries, including Australia (Pirki s etal., 2006, pp. 82-7).
The present study is the first to examine whether media reporting associated with a national
suicide prevention campaign (R U OK? Day) adheres to national reporting recommendations
on suicide and menta l illness.
Received 19 October 2018
Revised 9 November 2018
29 November 2018
Accepted 3 December 2018
Mindframe and R U OK? are in an
ongoing partnership, including
advisoryroles regarding adherence
to reportingrecommendationsand
JS is a current member of the R U
OK? Conversation Think Tank.
Furthermore, R U OK? is a member
of the Mindframe communication
managersgroup. Mindframe and
R U OK? have alsocollaborated on
the development of a community-
based help-seeking guide.If you or
anyone you know is thinking about
suicide,please call Lifeline (Australia)
on 13 11 14 (www.lifeline.org.au), or
beyondblue(Australia) on 130022
46 36 (www.beyondblue.org.au).
For international helplines please
visit www.suicide.org/international-
suicide-hotlines.html
Renate Thienel is basedat
Everymind, HunterNew
England Local HealthDistrict,
Newcastle, Australia and
School of Psychology,
University of Newcastle,
Newcastle, Australia.
Marc Bryant is based at
Everymind, Hunter New
England Local Health District,
Newcastle, Australia.
Gavin Hazel, Jaelea Skehan
and Ross Tynan are all based
at Everymind, Hunter New
England Local Health District,
Newcastle, Australia and
School of Medicine and
Public Health, University of
Newcastle, Newcastle,
Australia.
DOI 10.1108/JPMH-10-2018-0071 VOL. 18 NO. 2 2019, pp. 135-147, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTALHEALTH
j
PAG E 135
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