Background/Purpose: The reasons for violation of suicide reporting guidelines and poor adherence among the media professionals were unclear. The study aimed to explore how suicide news was processed and how safe reporting could be enhanced.
METHODS: The reporters' perspectives were approached on inappropriate media reports and their causes through a structured topic guide for discussion. A total of eighteen participants from major Taiwanese newspapers (n=8) and online media (n=10) took part in two focus groups hosted by the authors' research team. Data were recorded verbatim with content analyses.
RESULTS: Five themes relating to responsible reporting emerged: (1) Media culture and core values: reports from various media were managed by different editors, causing difficulties in guideline adherence; (2) Balancing newsworthiness and risk control: reporters felt it hard to get balanced opinions due to time pressure; (3) Reporting guidelines versus media operations: the report styles were affected mainly by the company rather than the reporters themselves; (4) Suicide reporting process: The editorial chief made the final decision about the news contents (including photos) rather than the reporters; (5) Education & suicide report training: Unawareness of violation of suicide reporting by presenting photos may indicate the need for in-job training for suicide prevention.
DISCUSSION: Key information about suicide news production and the importance of communication between the media and healthcare professionals were identified. As suicide gatekeepers, the roles of reporters and editors were both critical. Empowering the media with better recognition and implementation of proper reports via in-job training/education of an updated principle as a new suicide reporting guideline may improve the quality of safe reporting and suicide prevention.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed separate notions for reporters and editors and a practical national media reporting guideline in Taiwan. Given proper education and competency, the risk of inappropriate reports of suicide may be lowered by multidisciplinary collaboration.
Language: zh
Keywords
focus group; media; National Suicide Reporting Guideline; qualitative study; Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center (TSPC)