Responsible Reporting on Suicide for Journalists
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Responsible Reporting on Suicide for Journalists
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There are 3 modules in this course
Responsible Reporting on Suicide for Journalists is designed to give working journalists and students who are interested in the field an understanding of how news media can impact suicide trends and how that power can be used to improve public health. An extensive body of research shows that certain methods of reporting on suicide deaths can increase the number of subsequent suicides among the public. Conversely, responsible methods of reporting on suicide can increase the likelihood of people seeking help. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both identified responsible suicide reporting among the media as a key mechanism for suicide prevention. This course aims to give journalists the concrete tools they need to fulfill that goal and make a positive public health impact with their reporting.
What's included
3 videos8 readings3 assignments1 plugin
3 videos•Total 50 minutes
- Introduction to Suicide•13 minutes
- CDC Explains Why Media Is Crucial to Suicide Prevention•15 minutes
- Suicide Statistics and Trends•22 minutes
8 readings•Total 54 minutes
- Welcome to Responsible Reporting•5 minutes
- Link to "Getting to Know You" survey •0 minutes
- Why We Need to Write More about Suicide•8 minutes
- Question for Reflection: Responsible Media Reporting•3 minutes
- Words Make Worlds•10 minutes
- Activity: Finding Statistics for your Region•15 minutes
- WHO Preventing Suicide Resource for Media Professionals 2017 •10 minutes
- Question for Reflection: Cultural/Societal Background•3 minutes
3 assignments•Total 16 minutes
- Pre-test•6 minutes
- Practice Quiz - Suicide as a Global Public Health Issue•5 minutes
- Graded Quiz - Suicide as a Global Public Health Issue•5 minutes
1 plugin•Total 2 minutes
- Getting to Know You•2 minutes
What's included
4 videos11 readings2 assignments
4 videos•Total 30 minutes
- Guidelines to Reporting on Suicide •4 minutes
- The Werther Effect•9 minutes
- The Papageno Effect•5 minutes
- Communicating the Method•12 minutes
11 readings•Total 105 minutes
- Reporting on Suicide Guidelines•10 minutes
- How the News Media Impacts Suicide Trends - Research Roundup•8 minutes
- The Influence of Suggestion on Suicide•10 minutes
- Newspaper Coverage of Suicide and Initiation of Suicide Clusters in Teenagers in the USA•10 minutes
- Werther v. Papageno Effects•10 minutes
- Logic's '1-800-273-8255' Song May Have Reduced Suicides•4 minutes
- Activity: Finding Examples of Responsible Reporting and Poor Reporting Practices•10 minutes
- Activity: Reviewing a Fictitious Article •15 minutes
- Question for Reflection: Evaluating Journalists' Reporting Decisions•10 minutes
- Activity: Police Press Conference•15 minutes
- Question for Reflection: Should Journalists Stop Reporting on Suicide?•3 minutes
2 assignments•Total 6 minutes
- Practice Quiz - How Media Reports Can Affect Suicide Trends•3 minutes
- Graded Quiz - How Media Reports Can Affect Suicide Trends•3 minutes
What's included
6 videos14 readings3 assignments4 plugins
6 videos•Total 41 minutes
- Story Framing•8 minutes
- Interviewing•9 minutes
- Story Production•7 minutes
- The Editing Process•6 minutes
- Social Media•5 minutes
- Your Mental Health•6 minutes
14 readings•Total 62 minutes
- Guidance for Working with People Bereaved by Suicide•10 minutes
- Question for Reflection: How to Handle a Request to See your Story before Publication•0 minutes
- Tips for Interviewing Victims of Tragedy, Witnesses and Survivors•8 minutes
- Link to "Interactive Scenario: Interview with a Source"•0 minutes
- Question for Reflection: Supporting a Source•3 minutes
- Best Practices for Covering Suicide Responsibly•8 minutes
- Guidance on Reporting Suicide for Broadcast Media•10 minutes
- Link to "Activity: Broadcast Story on College Suicides"•0 minutes
- Link to "Interactive Scenario: Conversation with an Editor"•0 minutes
- Activity: Write a Pitch for a Story Related to Suicide in your School/Local Area•10 minutes
- Mental Health Tips and Resources for Journalists•10 minutes
- Resources for Journalists Coping with Trauma•0 minutes
- Closing Thoughts•3 minutes
- Link to "Your Feedback" Survey •0 minutes
3 assignments•Total 26 minutes
- Practice Quiz - Applying Suicide Reporting Guidelines in the Field•10 minutes
- Post-test•6 minutes
- Graded Quiz - Applying Suicide Reporting Guidelines in the Field•10 minutes
4 plugins•Total 39 minutes
- Interactive Scenario: Interview with a Source•12 minutes
- Activity: Broadcast Story on College Suicides•12 minutes
- Interactive Scenario: Conversation with an Editor•12 minutes
- Your Feedback (7 Questions)•3 minutes
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Reviewed on Jul 20, 2022
This course is essential for journalists. It is fact-based and provides repeated and varied opportinities to engage with the material through audio/video/text articles and assignnents.
Reviewed on Feb 12, 2026
This was a very important course for anyone in Journalism, or even in other forms of storytelling where the topic of Suicide is discussed.
Reviewed on Jul 30, 2023
the Course was quite interesting.i gained a lot of knowledge.at first I thought it to be a small content course but found it to be amazing and very well organised.
Frequently asked questions
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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