Death knocks, professional practice, and the public good: The media experience of suicide reporting in New Zealand

Health, government, and media organizations around the world have responded to research demonstrating the imitative effects of suicide coverage in the news media by developing guidelines to foster responsible reporting. Implementation of these guidelines has encountered some resistance, and little is known about the media perspective on suicide coverage and its effects on guideline use. This qualitative study provides an in-depth appreciation of this perspective by investigating the experiences of journalists covering suicide in New Zealand. Fifteen newspaper, television and radio journalists were interviewed between December 2008 and March 2009 and transcripts were analyzed using a grounded hermeneutic editing approach. Five themes were identified: public responsibility, media framing of suicide, professional practice, personal experience of suicide reporting, and restricted reporting. Participants asserted the role of the media in the protection of the public good. Though this stance aligns them with the goals of health policymakers, it is derived from a set of professional mores at odds with the perceived paternalism of suicide reporting guidelines. Participants were stakeholders in the issue of suicide coverage. We conclude that policymakers must engage with the news media and acknowledge the competing imperatives that provide the context for the application of suicide reporting guidelines by individual journalists. Collaborative guideline development will be vital to effective implementation.