media coverage of suicide

faustus

Well-known member
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7350087.stm

does anyone else find it a bit sick how much newspapers are *allowed* to cover suicides/ report on where body was found/ note left/ speculate at reasons behind? makes me very uncomfortable. similar with the liverpool police chief a couple of months ago, but with this guy, perhaps because he worked at the bbc, the papers and tv seem to feel they have free rein to show old footage/ photos of him and his fiancee/ generally aim to juxtapose the horrible story with cheery kids TV.

i guess while i'm ranting, this piece made me a bit uncomfortable too

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7350087.stm
 

Pestario

tell your friends
Yes. I read somewhere that the media had this sort of agreement with the police not to report suicides as it seemed to encourage further suicides. Maybe it doesn't apply to celebrities? Then again there are those suicides in Bridgend.
 

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
Yes. I read somewhere that the media had this sort of agreement with the police not to report suicides as it seemed to encourage further suicides. Maybe it doesn't apply to celebrities? Then again there are those suicides in Bridgend.

There is actually a big part in Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point about how stories of suicides have been shown to increase suicides in the general area of the publication of those stories. It's some fucked up shit. He talks about this one small island country where there had been a suicide rate of zero until this one public figure topped himself and the suicide rate just went through the roof steadily after that event.
 

polystyle

Well-known member
This seems to happen in Japan.
Suicides bubble up into the news -then more happen.
Copycat phenomenon , 'if they did it, so can i' and if alot of people do , ' i will join them'.
Mind you , this is a land of online suicide clubs and of forests so dense with suicides there are signs to warn you off ...
 

polystyle

Well-known member
I dunno if that works or not.
While having to wait until a track is cleared doesn't happen during every subway ride around the mega city, i've had it happen from time to time.
Was weird feeling the first time.
Sad , the rest
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I hate the way they say "such-and-such a line is delayed due to a person under a train", as if someone's just lying down there having a little nap. In circumstances like this, euphemism seems so much worse than straightforward plain speaking.
 

STN

sou'wester
I hate the way they say "such-and-such a line is delayed due to a person under a train", as if someone's just lying down there having a little nap. In circumstances like this, euphemism seems so much worse than straightforward plain speaking.

I agree. If someone tuts when this is announced I want to bite them as tragedy becomes inconvenience, the self-centred bastards. Maybe it's cos I'm never in a rush because I'm not very important.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I agree. If someone tuts when this is announced I want to bite them as tragedy becomes inconvenience, the self-centred bastards. Maybe it's cos I'm never in a rush because I'm not very important.

Still, it's a fucking selfish way to top yourself. What about the people who actually witness it? What about the poor bugger driving the train? Plus the people who have to clean it up afterwards! :eek: The effect it has on other people goes far beyond mere 'inconvenience'.
 
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tox

Factory Girl
There is actually a big part in Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point about how stories of suicides have been shown to increase suicides in the general area of the publication of those stories. It's some fucked up shit. He talks about this one small island country where there had been a suicide rate of zero until this one public figure topped himself and the suicide rate just went through the roof steadily after that event.

Is this what's happening in that Welsh town at the moment (Bridgend)?

More info here and here.
 
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UFO over easy

online mahjong
I agree. If someone tuts when this is announced I want to bite them as tragedy becomes inconvenience, the self-centred bastards. Maybe it's cos I'm never in a rush because I'm not very important.

hearing about people dying just isn't an event anymore, we're surrounded by it constantly and if you didn't desensitise yourself to it you wouldn't be able to function. I wouldn't expect everyone to suddenly become subdued into an impromptu minutes silence if I decided to throw myself in front of a train..
 
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