Discussion Anyone notice how so few suicides are reported in the news?

[StateOfMind]

It should be more out-there so it becomes less taboo, hopefully paving the way for a meaningful public discourse.

 

[LMLN]

I think the main reason they do not report them is to prevent "copycat" suicides.

 

[a.n.kirillov]

Exactly, it is intentionally underreported. If you are interested, there is a paywalled podcast episode by 'Psychology in Seattle' called "Deep Dive on Suicide", which is several hours long and very informative (argued from a preventionist perspective).

They go in great detail on the media guidelines for prevention as well.

 

[Soulless_Angel]

To publish that someone has committed suicide is an admittance in the failure of the health system, it show's their pro life attitude of trying to save everyone is not working. An image the mental health services simply cannot afford to have. It's already failing without adding proof to the general public.
They also don't want people idolising suicide, they don't want copycat suicides, they don't want people to know methods, esp the lesser known ones such as SN.
In our local news recently there have been a few reported suicides but they are not allowed to use the word jumped or suicide, so you have to read it fully to realise what has happened, not just skim the headlines.

 

[IrRegularjoe]

Its kind of personal. Its someones loved one. You might not want someone you love being a news story.

 

[StateOfMind]

Its kind of personal. Its someones loved one. You might not want someone you love being a news story.

I can sympathise with this but suffering should be an open discussion not a taboo.

 

[IrRegularjoe]

I can sympathise with this but suffering should be an open discussion not a taboo.

I agree we should have the right to talk about it. And get dignity when no treatment helps. I am for assisted dying in all countries.

 

[Alec]

A man in my town, ctb a few days ago. He was found in the bench outside by police. He overdosed. There was no news about it at all, I only found out because somebody I know lives in the same building with this man and he saw through his window when police found him outside his home. And the rest was just through mouth to mouth

 

[SleeplessSoul]

I've seen a few documentaries on it and it was briefly mentioned during one of the coronavirus briefings but that was only because someone sent in a question and the response to it was rubbish

 

[moodygrl]

I think its very right for information on suicides not to be public. From my perspective, Its nobodies business to discuss my reasons, reminding my family of it etc. Also people on the comment sections of news can be really jerks.

 

[PrettyMoose]

From Google search results on news about suicide it seems that the only country that really tries reporting suicides is India. Everywhere else is vastly underrepresented.

 

[Jumper Geo]

Yes it is definitely under reported they say one person dies of suicide every 40 seconds, source WHO, 9 September 2019 but I wouldn't be surprised if that's down to 20 seconds with Covid-19 with Countries in lock down and people being forced to isolate a lone or with abusive family and partners..

 

[kyle]

This is simply because the relative of the person who committed suicide wants to keep it personal or to prevent copycat suicides. A lot of people also find suicide as attention seeking, so that may be why also.

Edit: Suicide is not attention seeking and I'm sorry if I made it sound like that. I'm a crisis counselor and deal with these things weekly.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

It should be more out-there so it becomes less taboo, hopefully paving the way for a meaningful public discourse.

1 million people worldwide die by suicide every year. It is estimated that global annual suicide fatalities could rise to over 1.5 million by 2020. Globally, suicide ranks among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15–44 years. Attempted suicides are up to 20 times more frequent than completed ones.

Epidemiology of suicide - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BPD Barbie]

I think the main reason they do not report them is to prevent "copycat" suicides.

This. Also there are a lot of suicides throughout a 24 hour period, too many for the news to keep up with. In reality the fact that it's that high should be a talking point that the media is looking at as opposed to reporting the actual act.

 

[SpareWheel]

The authorities don't want the general public to know just prevalent it is. In admitting it's so common, they'd have to admit major failings in a lot of the cases. I've heard so many tales of people ending it all after losing their homes, or having benefits sanctioned, or being hounded by yobs in their area and nothing has been done to rectify it.

Those things might not be present in most cases of suicide, but in a lot of cases something could have been done, the people were just ignored or pushed into it without anyone really giving a damn.

The world would get a massive shock if euthanisation became legal in major counties across the globe. A lot of people they know would suddenly vanish. I've had 4 friends die by their own hands, at least 5 that have tried and failed, both my parents tried it at one point. They have to keep it a taboo subject, they don't want to shatter the illusion some folk have that life is a merry old lark loved by all.

The city I live would probably have at least one suicide a day to write about if they started reporting them, it's a very impoverished city overall with a very bad Heroin problem, basically a Mecca for desperately unhappy people plodding along. If people really knew how bad it was then it might get worse.

 

[Arvinneedstodie]

I saw someone jumped from a building last year, and not a single mention of the incident could be found afterwards. This happened around October of last year, on a very busy street here in Queens, NYC. There was a huge crowd and police blocked off the whole entire block and adjacent streets. You would think this would make the news, or at least the local news, but nope. Nothing. I even searched the web the week after. Nothing.

Only suicides of famous people, or some photogenic students get publicized. We don't even know how many people die of suicide in our own neighborhood.

 

[deadpixels]

Many are also reported as accidents. I remember when I was a little kid watching in the news the case of a man who shot himself in the head while doing maintenance to his gun

There was also a well known person from my city that "slept while driving" and hit a tree in the middle of nowhere after midnight. I was amazed at how no one questioned the story, and thought that maybe it could be a suicide.

 

[SpareWheel]

People like Tyson Fury coming out and admitting be was very close to it definitely helps remove some of the stigma. You'll still get idiots saying shit like, what's he got to be miserable about though, young millionaire with a beautiful wife, huge house and Lamborghinis etc - like you can only have demons if you're poor or single. I've been fairly wealthy, and I've been with stunning women, I don't think I've ever been truly happy though. Got close once, but then I threw it all away due to cynicism. Some folk wrongly believe those that commit suicide are recently made suicidal, they'll never like to admit some of them have been on the brink for years, perhaps decades before finally having enough.

The odd time you do read about a suicide, it'll list something very recent and perhaps quite trivial (John Johnstone, 34 who recently lost his job as a Forklift driver) as the catalyst, and make out the person was as happy as a Pig in shit prior to it - basically excusing the action and blaming example A to pigeonhole people, which is very rarely the case, example A is often just the straw that broke the Camels back, after lugging around example B-V for years.

 

[wordsonscreen]

I think the main reason they do not report them is to prevent "copycat" suicides.

Probably but we need more open discussions on this.. weird to kind of just push this stuff under the rug

 

[signifying nothing]

Samaritans top 10 tips on reporting suicide

Media guidelines for reporting suicide

 

[wordsonscreen]

Samaritans top 10 tips on reporting suicide

Media guidelines for reporting suicide

WOW. Fuck this. Jesus. At least we have SS