Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK
Background: Media reporting may influence suicide clusters through imitation or contagion. In 2008 there was extensive national and international newspaper coverage of a cluster of suicides in young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales, UK. Aims: To explore the quantity and quality of newspape...
| Główni autorzy: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Język: | English |
| Wydane: |
Hogrefe
2016
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| _version_ | 1826288834057338880 |
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| author | John, A Hawton, K Gunnell, D al., E |
| author_facet | John, A Hawton, K Gunnell, D al., E |
| author_sort | John, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Background: Media reporting may influence suicide clusters through imitation or contagion. In 2008 there was extensive national and international newspaper coverage of a cluster of suicides in young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales, UK. Aims: To explore the quantity and quality of newspaper reporting during the identified cluster. Method: Searches were conducted for articles on suicide in Bridgend for 6 months before and after the defined cluster (June 26, 2007, to September 16, 2008). Frequency, quality (using the PRINTQUAL instrument), and sensationalism were examined. Results: In all, 577 newspaper articles were identified. One in seven articles included the suicide method in the headline, 47.3% referred to earlier suicides, and 44% used phrases that guidelines suggest should be avoided. Only 13% included sources of information or advice. Conclusion: A high level of poor-quality and sensationalist reporting was found during an ongoing suicide cluster at the very time when good-quality reporting could be considered important. A broad awareness of media guidelines and expansion and adherence to press codes of practice are required by journalists to ensure ethical reporting. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:19:42Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:a37c4d1c-e8c7-4f98-8cc3-ff49b58d12b5 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T02:19:42Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Hogrefe |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:a37c4d1c-e8c7-4f98-8cc3-ff49b58d12b52022-03-27T02:27:17ZNewspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UKJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:a37c4d1c-e8c7-4f98-8cc3-ff49b58d12b5EnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordHogrefe2016John, AHawton, KGunnell, Dal., EBackground: Media reporting may influence suicide clusters through imitation or contagion. In 2008 there was extensive national and international newspaper coverage of a cluster of suicides in young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales, UK. Aims: To explore the quantity and quality of newspaper reporting during the identified cluster. Method: Searches were conducted for articles on suicide in Bridgend for 6 months before and after the defined cluster (June 26, 2007, to September 16, 2008). Frequency, quality (using the PRINTQUAL instrument), and sensationalism were examined. Results: In all, 577 newspaper articles were identified. One in seven articles included the suicide method in the headline, 47.3% referred to earlier suicides, and 44% used phrases that guidelines suggest should be avoided. Only 13% included sources of information or advice. Conclusion: A high level of poor-quality and sensationalist reporting was found during an ongoing suicide cluster at the very time when good-quality reporting could be considered important. A broad awareness of media guidelines and expansion and adherence to press codes of practice are required by journalists to ensure ethical reporting. |
| spellingShingle | John, A Hawton, K Gunnell, D al., E Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title | Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title_full | Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title_fullStr | Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title_full_unstemmed | Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title_short | Newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the UK |
| title_sort | newspaper reporting on a cluster of suicides in the uk |
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