Media Guidelines & Safe Messaging Flashcards

According to safe messaging guidelines, how should news headlines about suicide be framed?

Answer: Avoid sensationalizing and focus on prevention resources and help-seeking

Headlines should avoid sensationalism and instead direct audiences toward prevention resources and help-seeking behaviors.

Which of the following is considered a 'contagion effect' risk factor in suicide media reporting?

Answer: Detailed descriptions of the method used in a suicide

Detailed method descriptions can trigger imitation behavior in vulnerable individuals, a phenomenon known as the Werther Effect.

When covering a celebrity suicide, which approach aligns with safe messaging guidelines?

Answer: Highlighting the celebrity's life achievements and referencing crisis resources

Safe messaging guidelines recommend focusing on life achievements rather than death details, and always including crisis resources.

The 'Papageno Effect' in media reporting refers to:

Answer: The protective effect of stories showing coping and survival

The Papageno Effect describes how stories of people who overcame suicidal crises can reduce suicide risk in readers.

Safe messaging guidelines recommend that crisis line numbers should appear in media coverage:

Answer: At the end of any content that addresses suicide or mental health crisis

Crisis resources like 988 should appear at the end of any content touching on suicide, regardless of medium.

Which phrase should journalists AVOID when reporting on suicide according to AAS guidelines?

Answer: "committed suicide"

"Committed suicide" implies criminality and stigma; preferred language is "died by suicide" or "lost their life to suicide."

When should a journalist consult a suicide prevention expert during reporting?

Answer: Before publishing any story involving suicide to review for harmful content

Consulting prevention experts before publication helps identify and correct potentially harmful framing or details.