The government has published guidelines for media reporting of suicides and the minister who negotiated them says it's up to journalists to follow them.
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne chaired meetings with coroners, senior media representatives, mental health professionals, suicide prevention groups and government agencies to thrash out an agreed set of guidelines.
"This is the first time that media organisations have agreed to use a single, consistent set of guidelines," he said. "We have deliberately steered away from a prescriptive, imposed-from-outside approach to get something that the media will work with."
The guidelines include:
- Reporting suicide in a straightforward way by providing concise and factual information.
- Understanding legal obligations under the Coroners Act.
- Checking the facts - especially when the person being interviewed isn't a close relative.
- Seeking advice about cultural and religious implications of a story.
- Promoting the fact that social networking sites can be full of untruths.
Mr Dunne says there's a myth that suicide shouldn't be talked about because it's too sensitive, painful, difficult or dangerous to do so.
"However, people need to know it is okay to talk about it. It is how we talk about it that is important and this document helps advance that cause," he said.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline's 24-hour telephone counselling service on 0800 543 354.
NZN