Suicide in the media

[lastlife_]

I think it's so sad how suicides are used as entertainment by the media. I'll admit I'm guilty that I like being able to read successful suicide stories, relate to their reasoning or understand their circumstances or method, but I do think it's incredibly sad how ordinary people who are just sad, want to be left alone and leave this life are plastered all over news site which reveal personal and intimate details about their lives. Sure, they're passed and won't have to experience the judgement, shame or pity but it feels like an incredible invasion of privacy. The fact that journalists can rock up to any public inquest and write a story about it is just.. pretty despicable in my opinion. I can understand if it was a celebrity because they're in the public eye and well known nationally or internationally.. so it becomes public interest.. but John or Jane with marriage issues from the semi-detached house in a rural town, or John or Jane with the typical 9-5 office job and long term depression.. it shouldn't be anyone else's businesses.

When I CTB, I really don't want news articles writing a pity story about me but it will probably happen anyway, even if it's just the local newspaper. British media are so careless like that.

 

[Pluto]

I thought that the media had policies against referring to suicide for fear of causing copycat suicides? I think that's how it works in Australia, anyway. This censorship of reality can be equally harmful.

 

[lastlife_]

I thought that the media had policies against referring to suicide for fear of causing copycat suicides? I think that's how it works in Australia, anyway. This censorship of reality can be equally harmful.

No, absolutely not.. almost everyday I Google 'suicide' and the news tab is flooded with articles from the UK, USA, Asia and other parts of the world. The media doesn't have that kind of censorship here. There's organisations and charities like Samaritan's who advise on their website how the media should report or publish articles with topics relative to suicide, but they rarely follow it through. Everyday there's articles published about ordinary people who have CTB and their entire life history and mental health is just exposed all over the web for entertainment. It's very exploitative and sad

 

[motel rooms]

Sure, they're passed and won't have to experience the judgement, shame or pity but it feels like an incredible invasion of privacy. The fact that journalists can rock up to any public inquest and write a story about it is just.. pretty despicable in my opinion. I can understand if it was a celebrity because they're in the public eye and well known nationally or internationally.. so it becomes public interest..

It's always despicable & exploitative. So what if the person was a celebrity?

 

[lastlife_]

It's always despicable & exploitative. So what if the person was a celebrity?

I wasn't saying being a celebrity makes it acceptable, just that I can understand why the death of a well known or notable person is would be public interest compared to an ordinary person away from the public spotlight

 

[motel rooms]

I can understand why the death of a well known or notable person is would be public interest

I can't... I think it's always voyeurism.

 

[lastlife_]

I can't... I think it's voyeurism.

Oh, I'm sorry. I should've included that I meant just the reporting of a celebrity death.. by no means do I think any intimate or private information should be published anywhere. It's sickening to the core.

But when I see articles like '38-year old father of two, [THEIR NAME] committed suicide' then proceed to report their mental health, situations that occurred in the past or the circumstances which led up to their death.. It's just utterly depressing and should be illegal in my opinion.

 

[motel rooms]

But when I see articles like '38-year old father of two, [THEIR NAME] committed suicide' then proceed to report their mental health, situations that occurred in the past or the circumstances which led up to their death.. It's just utterly depressing and should be illegal in my opinion.

I couldn't agree more.