News

Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on suspected suicide deaths.

Advice includes avoiding or minimising detailed descriptions of method and location, particularly when reporting from the scene. Research has shown that communicating details of method and location can increase suicidal behaviour in the community. It is recommended to refer to public locations in general and non-descriptive terms.

Media are also asked to be mindful and sensitive to the families and communities affected by this incident and consider the prominence and volume of reporting being released, as prolonged and sustained reporting can have significant lasting negative impacts and can increase risk to those who are vulnerable or distressed.

A study of Australian news media’s coverage of complex mental illness in the context of violent crime has identified significant potential for reporting to minimise risk of perpetuating and reinforcing stigma.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will tomorrow release its 2022 Causes of Death data. This data set will include annual national suicide information.

Media and communications professionals reporting on the data are encouraged to be thoughtful, responsible and accurate to reduce the risk of harm or stigma for those in the community with lived and living experience of mental health concerns and suicide.

The importance of caution when depicting suicide in television and film has been highlighted in a new book examining the ways contemporary media platforms explore themes of dying, death and grief.

Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on the independent report on workplace culture at EY Oceania. With the report's findings expected to generate significant media attention, it is crucial that responsible and sensitive reporting practices are followed to reduce harm and encourage those impacted to seek support.

Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on the death of Sinéad O’Connor. There is strong evidence that speculating about suicide, particularly in instances where a celebrity has died, can lead to further suicidal behaviour in the community.

Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on the recent suicide of an LGBTIQ+ young person in Beaudesert, Qld.

Media are asked to avoid including details of the suicide method and location. This includes quoting or including screenshots from social media posts where these details are given. This information can be distressing and contribute to further suicidal behaviour in impacted communities.

Media are also reminded to include relevant help-seeking information, including LGBTIQ+ support services such as QLife, in all stories so anyone experiencing distress has relevant helpline numbers and support service information available.

Hearings for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide are scheduled to recommence from Monday 28 August.

Australian media are reminded to report safely and sensitively on issues relating to suicide. While the Royal Commission may be validating or healing for some in the defence and veteran communities, it may also be distressing.

Please be mindful of this when reporting on information shared in the hearings and when approaching people for comment or interviews.

Everymind has launched a new set of guidelines aimed at improving the language used when communicating about mental health and wellbeing, mental ill-health, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and alcohol and other drugs (AOD).

Newly published research has reaffirmed the importance of Mindframe guidelines in helping to reduce stigma after it was found that most media articles about alcohol and other drugs (AOD) focus on crime and justice.