title: Newspaper Reporting on a Cluster of Suicides in the UK.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Media reporting may influence suicide clusters through imitation or contagion. In 2008 there was extensive national and international newspaper coverage of a cluster of suicides in young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales, UK.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the quantity and quality of newspaper reporting during the identified cluster.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches were conducted for articles on suicide in Bridgend for 6 months before and after the defined cluster (June 26, 2007, to September 16, 2008). Frequency, quality (using the PRINTQUAL instrument), and sensationalism were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 577 newspaper articles were identified. One in seven articles included the suicide method in the headline, 47.3% referred to earlier suicides, and 44% used phrases that guidelines suggest should be avoided. Only 13% included sources of information or advice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high level of poor-quality and sensationalist reporting was found during an ongoing suicide cluster at the very time when good-quality reporting could be considered important. A broad awareness of media guidelines and expansion and adherence to press codes of practice are required by journalists to ensure ethical reporting.
authors.affiliation: 1 Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.|7 Public Health Wales National Health Service Trust, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: 2 Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, Warnford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawton
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gunnell
authors.affiliation: 1 Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.affiliation: 4 School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scourfield
authors.affiliation: 1 Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Phillip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: 5 Institute for Media and Communication Research, Bournemouth University, UK.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luce
authors.affiliation: 1 Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchant
authors.affiliation: 6 Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.affiliation: 7 Public Health Wales National Health Service Trust, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Sian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: 1 Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dennis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: guidelines; newspaper reporting; suicide cluster