title: Why do we report suicides and how can we facilitate suicide prevention efforts? Perspectives of Hong Kong media professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Hong Kong news media report suicide-related events more frequently and sensationally than Western countries. Little is known about Hong Kong media professionals' experiences and thoughts about such reporting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand Hong Kong media professionals' experiences and perceptions of suicide reporting and whether the news media can be better engaged into suicide prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted three focus groups of journalists from both the Cantonese and English language news media. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We discerned three rationales from participants regarding their intense coverage of suicide-related events: (1) satisfying commercial competitiveness, (2) addressing social problems, and (3) responding to readers' interests. The first rationale was a dominant and vigorous motivating factor, and often influenced suicide reporting among local Cantonese media. Media professionals recommended engagement strategies targeted at frontline journalists, media managers, and general media consumers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We see potential to involve news media professionals in Hong Kong as working partners in suicide prevention. To succeed, this effort requires engagement in a proactive, consistent, and sustained fashion.
authors: <location>HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China</location> <location>Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA</location>
authors: Qijin
authors: Q
authors: Cheng
authors: <location>Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China</location>
authors: King-wa
authors: KW
authors: Fu
authors: <location>Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA</location>
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Caine
authors: <location>HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China</location> <location>Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China</location>
authors: Paul S F
authors: PS
authors: Yip
mesh_terms: D017144:Focus Groups; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D020452:Journalism; D008402:Mass Media; D009042:Motivation; D012940:Social Problems; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Hong Kong; guidelines; media; online; suicide