Toronto Star Public Editor Questions Standards of Reporting on Suicides

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Invasion of Privacy»

Toronto Star public editor Kathy English wrote Sept. 30 that journalists should discuss standards for reporting on suicide. Former NHL player Rick Rypien died in August.

Public editor Kathy English questioned why the Toronto Star and other news media shies away from reporting on suicides in her Sept. 30 column.

English noted that “Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Canada.”  As she wrote, in August, NHL player Rick Rypien’s August death somewhat sparked her decision. The New York Times wrote in late August specifically about Rypien’s death and the privacy elements surrounding his death here.  “For some, the imprecision and circumspection around Rypien’s death is not surprising given the tradition of reporting on suicide in Canada,” according to the Times.

According to English, the newspaper’s policy advises its journalists “not to reveal that someone committed suicide unless there is some overriding public interest in doing so.”

But, English noted that reporting on suicide may help “spark important public discussion,” although journalists tend to avoid reporting on suicide for fear of providing information for “copycat suicides.”  Commenters seemed to agree with English’s call for a discussion and emphasized the importance of journalists not exploiting the families of suicide victims.

English’s comments echoed those made by journalists internationally, as StinkyJournalism has written.

iMediaEthics has taken up the issue of how to ethically and carefully report on suicides several times before. In September 2010, we cited the advice of journalism ethicist Stephen J.A. Ward who had previously questioned if journalists exploit suicides. Ward also suggested journalists discuss how to report on suicides, noting that journalists should strive to “minimize harm.”

Ward, as well as the University of Hong Kong’s Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention both advise journalists report facts and not speculation, avoid providing too many details or sensationalizing stories.  Also, the University of Hong Kong called on journalists to provide proportionate coverage and avoid embellishing display elements like headlines and fonts.

We wrote in March 2011 when a New Zealand group recommended revising New Zealand’s guidelines for reporting on suicides.  New Zealand has one of the highest rates of youth suicides and much of the media’s restrictions on reporting comes from the coroner’s office, who is prohibited from disclosing many details of suicides including names and ages.

New Zealand group CASPER, which represents the families of suicide victims, called for the revisions and for careful, informative reporting on both suicide and suicide prevention.

In August 2011, Australia’s press council released new guidelines for reporting on suicides, as we wrote, noting that such reporting “can be of substantial public benefit.”

Submit a tip / Report a problem

Toronto Star Public Editor Questions Standards of Reporting on Suicides

Share this article:

คาสิโน
สล็อต
sa gaming
tkb365
https://tkb399.com/login
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทำความรู้จักกับ
PG
สล็อต
tkb138
sa gaming
https://www.hotelplayagolf.com/es/instalaciones/piscinas
tkb365
บาคาร่า
สล็อตเว็บตรง
บาคาร่า
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อตเว็บตรง
tkb138
ซุปเปอร์สล็อต
tkb138
tkb365
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
changbet789
สูตรสล็อต pg ทดลองเล่นฟรี
สล็อต ดาวน์โหลด รับเครดิตฟรี
สล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
tkb138
https://www.hotelalbora.com/
https://tkb108.co/register
tkb696
สล็อตเว็บตรง
changbet789
สล็อตทดลอง
pg
betflix
pg slot
สล็อต
pg slot
สล็อตเว็บจริง100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
sbobet
ดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
tkb138
https://titanium-hotel.com/
สล็อต
tkb138
taokaebet
tkb777
อันดับแรก
คาสิโน
changbet789
แจกเครดิตฟรี 100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
สล็อต
changbet789
tkb365
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
changbet789
finfinbet
คาสิโน
changbet789
tkb108
tkbneko
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
https://www.gday96.com/
สล็อต888
สล็อต
PG
บาคาร่าเว็บตรง
changbet789
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
tkb365
tkb365
tkb365
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
TKB96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
tkbsexy
tkbrich
tkbpussy
tkbpg
tkbfun
tkb96
tkb33
tkb9
tkb4
thb889
tkbking
tkb555
tkb365
changbet789
บาคาร่า
คาสิโนออนไลน์
sa gaming
คาสิโนออนไลน์สด
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg ซื้อฟรีสปิน
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต เว็บตรงไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต