How suicides by celebrities are reported has received increasing attention in recent years. When Ueshima Ryuhei, a member of a popular comedy trio Dachou Club passed away in May 2022, broadcasters reporting the news in front of his house or revealing the suicidal method were harshly criticized on social media sites and newspapers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released “Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, update 2017” (commonly known as “media guidelines for suicide reporting”). This booklet presents a total of 12 items of “dos” and “don’ts” with detailed explanations for each. This month’s Research Report analyzes 26 TV programs that covered Mr. Ueshima’s suicide on the day of his death to examine how their reports complied with the guidelines’ “dos” and “don’ts.”
For “dos”, the analysis finds that few programs aired the aspects of “Educate the public about the facts of suicide and suicide prevention, without spreading myths” and “Report stories of how to cope with life stressors or suicidal thoughts, and how to get help.” Meanwhile, although “don’ts” included “Don’t place stories about suicide prominently and don't unduly repeat such stories” with an explanation “Caution should be exercised regarding the repetition or updating of the original story,” but some programs repeatedly provided information regarding Mr. Ueshima.