• What's the Story? Reporting mental health and suicide
• At a glance
• The handbook
  • Foreword
  • Introduction
  • Key facts about mental health
  • Care in and out of the community
  • Reporting mental health and violence
  • Violence: the other side of the story
  • Reporting suicide
    • The dos and don'ts of covering suicide
  • Language and terminology
  • Industry codes of practice
  • Diagnoses
  • Contacts
• Shift Media Network

The dos and don'ts of covering suicide

These are some recommendations for good practice when reporting on suicide:

• Seek help from one of the organisations listed in this handbook for expert advice, information or to find professionals or individuals who have direct knowledge of suicide.
• Take care to avoid giving excessive details about the method of suicide used because it may result in copycat suicides.
• Always include details of an appropriate helpline, such as Samaritans - 08457 90 90 90.
• Suicide was decriminalised in 1961, so it is inaccurate to use the term ‘commit suicide’. Use alternatives such as ‘took his own life’, ‘die by suicide’ or ‘complete suicide’.
• Suicide is complex. People decide to take their own lives for many different reasons. It is misleading to suggest a simplistic cause and effect explanation.
• Avoid sensational headlines or language that glorify or romanticise the act of suicide.
• Don’t use dramatic photographs, footage or images related to a suicide.

BBC Editorial Guidelines:

Suicide, attempted suicide and self-harm

Suicide ... should be portrayed with great sensitivity ... Care must be taken to avoid describing or showing methods in any great detail and content producers should be alert to the dangers of making such behaviour attractive to the vulnerable.

Both ... factual reporting and fictional portrayal of suicide, attempted suicide and self-harm may encourage others. The sensitive use of language is also important. Suicide was decriminalised in 1961 and since then the use of the term “commit suicide” is considered offensive by some people. “Take one’s life” or “kill oneself” are preferable alternatives.

Consider whether to offer a helpline number or provide support material when output deals with such issues. The chief executive of Samaritans is happy to be consulted by content producers about the portrayal of suicide. [Editorial advice] should be taken on any proposal to broadcast a hanging scene, portray suicide, attempted suicide or self-harm.

What's the Story: Reporting mental health and suicide: A resource for journalists and editors