ERIC Number: EJ1392618
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1077-6958
EISSN: EISSN-2161-4326
Available Date: N/A
Reporting on Suicide: An Examination of Suicide Coverage by U.S. Student Newspapers
Kocan, Samantha; Parrott, Scott
Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, v78 n3 p360-371 Sep 2023
Suicide is an important issue facing students on college campuses. Student journalists face unique challenges covering suicide, including ethical considerations related to headline wording, text descriptions, and sourcing. Health advocates, news outlets, and professional journalism organizations partnered to develop guidelines for responsible suicide reporting. This study sought to understand the extent to which student journalists complied with the recommendations, which were designed to prevent so-called "copycat" deaths. Using content analysis, the study examined how 51 student newspapers covered suicide more than 3 years (2019-2021). It offers recommendations for students and advisors.
Descriptors: School Newspapers, Journalism, College Students, Suicide, News Reporting, Content Analysis, Standards, Responsibility, Ethics, Guidelines, Compliance (Psychology), Student Behavior
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A