The SoA has worked with Samaritans on a new factsheet for writers to raise awareness of the sensitivities and risks inherent in writing about suicide and self-harm When the charity Samaritans approached us last year for our support in developing a guide, we were apprehensive. Not about the idea of working on a guide with them - they’re a great charity, and we’ve written scores of guides. They wanted us to collaborate on a guide for authors on writing about suicide, and we were concerned because it might mean doing something that we simply never do - which is to tell writers what they should write, and how they should write about it.
Samaritans’ guidance on media coverage of suicide is well-known. First published in 1994, it has grown into an invaluable toolkit, freely available from their website, which includes accessible advice for journalists, evidenced suicide facts, and specific guidelines on reporting celebrity deaths. It has influenced the development of Ofcom and IPSO codes of practice, and helped foster a greater understanding amongst journalists of the influence their work can have on families and readers.
In journalism, with reports on the suicides of real people read by millions often within days or hours of a death, of course guidance was needed, a duty of care encouraged, and codes of practice followed.