The Role Of Suicide In The Media

Briana, I agree with you that suicide is a topic that society needs to become more aware of and I do think that the news media should be periodically reporting preventative information about it, I just don’t feel that actual suicides should be reported on the news. I feel that getting the information out to the public about the signs to recognize of someone who might be contemplating suicide and the resources available to those who might be thinking about it in order to prevent it are very important. As someone who has lost a relative and a friend to suicide, I have personally seen the effects that suicide can have on the victim's family members and friends. There are typically such feelings of shock and guilt associated with a death that occurs in this way that I feel that adding actual news media coverage of it during that time will only inflict more anguish on the families.

Also, I have noticed that there tends to be something like a stigma that surrounds a suicide death for the family and friends, because of this the funeral is a lot of times kept more private or even closed, so I think that news coverage of it around this time would only increase that for them. I think that reporting on suicides should be done randomly more about the preventative measures available for it without mentioning the names of any individuals who have committed suicide unless their families are involved and want that information to be released to the public to help further the cause. I like your statement and agree that suicide is not something that should be kept in the dark any longer.