A law student at the University of Ottawa recently jumped to his death from the fifteenth floor of a residence building, the Globe and Mail reported Sept. 19.
Globe columnist André Picard cites media coverage of this young student’s death as an example of the tough ethical choice facing journalists responsible for covering suicides in the news.
Picard argues against guidelines like those provided by the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA), which aim to discourage media outlets from publishing details of suicide stories that could lead to “copycat” attempts at self-harm.
He calls on journalists to seek a balance between respectful reporting and a thorough examination of the facts when dealing with delicate issues like suicide.
Although emotionally unnerving, exposing suicides in the news for what they are forms an integral part of the story of a person’s death.
The truth can be ugly, and it’s irresponsible journalism to avoid the facts in favour of public comfort.
The CPA’s suggestion to remove the abrasive term ‘suicide’ from news headlines is respectful and well intentioned, but won’t help the progress of mental health issues in Canada. It seems the benefits of raising public awareness for the issues that often underlie cases of suicide outweigh the potential dangers of publicizing suicide and fearing “copycat” behaviour.
The University of Ottawa’s student newspaper, the Fulcrum, is doing its students a disservice by avoiding use of the term “suicide” in their reporting of the incident.
In a university environment where mental pressures are high and support networks away from home can seem limited, it’s important to be aware mental health issues exist among our peers. Ignoring them can have devastating consequences.
The Fulcrum’s reticence to label the student’s death is best viewed not as a weakness, but as evidence that covering suicide in the news continues to be shrouded in ethical and moral debate. There’s a hazy line between disseminating the truth and disrespecting the deceased. As long as media outlets focus on the mental health causes of suicide issues rather than sensationalizing gory details in search of a story that sells, we will achieve a proactive and informative stance in addressing an issue that affects too many Canadians.
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