Responsible reporting on suicide

When reporting on suicide, it’s important not only for reporters to have reliable data but also to be conscientious about the language and tone they use.

Suicide is one of the unique topics in which the very reporting of it can influence how much more frequently it happens, so simply doing your job as a journalist has the unfortunate potential to influence the news itself in this scenario.

These tips are a quick-and-dirty list from the World Health Organization’s guide, “Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals.”