Suicide media coverage in Ibero-american digital media: content analysis and news framing

Abstract

News coverage of suicide requires special handling by journalists and media. Previous studies confirm that the narrative can trigger copycats and even suicidal thoughts in people with mental health disorders. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have provided several guidelines for the coverage of this topic. This research analyzes the coverage of suicide in the principal media of 20 Ibero-American countries based on a quantitative-qualitative and exploratory content analysis and information framing design. The results showed that the most common explanation for suicide is multi-causal, followed by environmental or contextual factors. Following the WHO-PAHO recommendations, most news items attempt to educate the public, although it is still a pending matter to indicate how and where to seek help. It was also observed that, in general, most of the information used mixed sources, both experts and relatives/friends of the victims. However, from the qualitative analysis, it was found that some of the coverage is peppered with clichés and commonplaces, with several of them falling back on coverage that departs from the WHO-PAHO guidelines by reporting details of the event or establishing cause-effect relationships that cannot be verified. In cases where constructive approaches were evident, the explanatory narrative tone was more important, providing data with which to obtain a clear idea of the complexity of the subject.