Experiences reporting on mental illness and suicide
Findings from interviews with Australian news professionals
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7477422 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anna Ro (0000-0003-4723-6494, corresponding author), Anna M Ross (0000-0002-5114-5686, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health), Kara Dickson (Melbourne School of Population and Global Health), Amy J Morgan (0000-0003-3784-0540, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health), Eva Paton (0000-0003-4649-4862, Everymind), Elizabeth Paton (Everymind), Gayle Mcnaught (0009-0003-4615-1402, SANE Australia), Nicola J Reavley (Melbourne School of Population and Global Health), Nicola Reavley (0000-0001-5513-8291) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 2617-2637 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-13 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journalism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1464-8849 • E-ISSN: 1741-3001 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14648849241274105 |
| OpenAlex | W4401592750 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 28 |
Improvements in the quality of news portrayals of mental illness and suicide can be attributed to the introduction of media guidelines, particularly the Mindframe guidelines in Australia. However, based on reports about problematic media content, there remains scope for improvement. This study sought to further investigate the experiences of Australian news media professionals in reporting on mental illness and suicide, including their experiences of using the Mindframe guidelines and developing news stories about people with lived experience. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 media professionals, including junior reporters, senior reporters, and news editors. Media professionals had an average of 10.1 years’ (SD = 9.4) experience and represented a range of work experiences. Three key themes were generated from participant responses about their experiences reporting on mental illness and suicide: 1. Awareness of responsible reporting guidelines and how to proactively increase this; 2. Newsroom processes, values and subjectivity in applying guidelines; and 3. The importance and challenge in sharing lived experience stories, and improving support for covering these stories. Further resources and education are needed across newsrooms and universities to increase awareness and use of the Mindframe guidelines, and ultimately improve the quality of Australian media portrayals of mental illness and suicide. Editors and managers should be targeted with this training to best influence organisational change. Media professionals require additional preparation and support to develop lived experience stories, particularly in working with people bereaved by suicide to ensure this is a safe engagement for both parties
Content analysis · Lived experience · Medical education · Mental health · Mental illness · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Quality (philosophy · Sociology · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Mental Health via Writing · Nursing · Psychology
Association between suicide reporting in the media and suicide
Journalists and mental health
Constructivist grounded theory
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
“We Don’t Cover Suicide … (Except When We Do Cover Suicide)”
Evaluation of the StigmaWatch program’s impact on media portrayals of suicide and mental illness
The pursuit of quality in grounded theory
Making Mental Health News
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Modeling Perceived Influences on Journalism
Reporting on mental health difficulties, mental illness and suicide
Communities of practice in the production and resourcing of fact-checking
The contextualist function
Death knocks, professional practice, and the public good
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |