Citation

Scourfield J, Colombo G, Burnap P, Evans R, Jacob N, Williams M, Caul S. Arch. Suicide Res. 2019; 23(3): 507-522.

Affiliation

Office for National Statistics , Newport , UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13811118.2018.1479321

PMID

29856679

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In the light of concern about the harmful effects of media reporting of suicides and a lack of comparative research, this study compares the number and characteristics of reports on young people's suicides and road traffic accidents (RTAs) in newspapers and Twitter.

METHODS: Comparison of newspaper and Twitter reporting of deaths by suicide and RTA in young people (11-18) during a six-month period.

RESULTS: Tweets about young people's suicides were more numerous than newspaper reports. Twitter and newspaper reports were more strongly correlated for suicides than for RTAs. Recent suicides were less likely to be reported in newspapers than recent deaths by RTA. Bullying-related suicides were especially newsworthy.

CONCLUSION: Suicide prevention organisations should consider routinely monitoring social media reporting.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Twitter; media; newspapers; road traffic accidents