Covering Suicide

October 23, 2012

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24 and the 10th leading cause of death among all Americans. Yet covering suicide poses profound challenges for journalists and news organizations.

"Covering Suicide," a two-day workshop for local journalists and regional news organizations in the greater Philadelphia area, included background briefings on the latest research as well as specialized reporting skills training to enhance the practical ability of journalists and news organizations to report on suicide knowledgeably, ethically and effectively.

This workshop was made possible by funding from the Thomas Scattergood Foundation for Behavioral Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Click below for video coverage of the following lectures and panel discussions:

Suicide and the Media
Kit Lukas: Life After Suicide
Suicide on College Campuses, A Parent's Perspective
Suicide on College Campuses
Ethics and Practice when Reporting on Suicide
High Impact Reporting on Suicide: Story Behind the Story
Master Class: Public Death, Private Grief
Youth Bullying and Social Media: A Contemporary Dilemma
Suicide Research, Myths & Trends

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Madelyn Gould, Ph.D. M.P.H., professor of clinical epidemiology in psychiatry and research scientist at Columbia University, gives a keynote address on the media's portrayal of suicide. - See more at: http://dartcenter.org/content/suicide-and-media#.VikOn2SrTYU

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Writer, actor, director TV producer and author of Blue Genes: A Memoir of Loss and Survival, Christopher "Kit" Lukas, gives a keynote address on what it is like to be a suicide survivor.

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Co-founder of The Jed Foundation Philip Satow gives a keynote address: "Suicide on College Campuses, A Parent's Perspective."

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Experts Ann Haas, Ph.D., Alison Malmon and Philip Satow participate in a panel discussion: "Suicide on College Campuses." Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, moderates.

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The Poynter Institute's Al Tompkins gives a presentation and leads a discussion on how to more ethically report on suicide.=

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Journalists Michael de Yoanna, Jesse Green, Sabrina Rubin Erdely and Maiken Scott share insights and techniques for reporting on suicide. Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, moderates.

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Professor Ari Goldman uses the Bruce Ivins case to examine how far a journalist can and should go when reporting on a suicide.

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Ann Haas Ph.D., Brian Mustanski Ph.D., and Jonathan Singer Ph.D. LCSW, discuss youth bullying and social media.

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Paula Clayton M.D., Thomas Joiner Ph.D., Matthew Nock Ph.D., and Christopher Ruhm Ph.D., discuss some of the current research, myths, and trends surrounding suicide. Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, moderates.