Responsible reporting about suicide
OPINION ISSUED BY JOHN B. NAKUTA, MEDIA OMBUDSMAN OF NAMIBIA:
The office of the Media Ombudsman received several complaints from the public during the course of last week following the online posting on Facebook by Informanté of an image of Mr Ivan Pitt who committed suicide after allegedly brutally murdering his girlfriend.
In this regard, the complaint lodged by Mr Werner van Zyl objects to the graphic nature of the post and viewing it as insensitive and in total disrespect for the bereaved family.
Mr Yochanaan Coetzee, on his part, complained about a subsequent post by the Informanté under the heading “Double Standards of Evil” which compares the images of the genocide to that of the late Mr Pitt’s case. In his view the posts are not only “grossly immoral, unethical and irresponsible” but also “tarnish the credibility of all Namibian print media”. He also views the comparison as gross and ghastly.
It is worth noting that the Informanté is not a member of the Editors’ Forum of Namibia (EFN). It is as such not bound by the Code of Ethics and Conduct. The Media Ombudsman, accordingly, has no jurisdiction over the publication.
However, given the public outcry and in the spirit of forging conducive working relations with all media houses I thought it wise to take up the matter with the publication. To this end, I immediately forwarded the complaint to the acting Editor, Ms Merja Iileka, of the Informanté and requested her to respond thereto. I also made follow-up calls to her and Mr Chris Jacobie, Head: Media of Trustco Group Holdings Ltd. To date none of them replied to my request. I can, accordingly, only assume that they opted to exercise their right to remain silent as non-EFN members.
Suicide, as noted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is a major public health problem. Namibia is no exception in this regard. In fact, on the 29th of October 2018 the New Era newspaper published grim statistics informing the nation that the country has the “fourth highest suicide rate in Africa and is rated eleventh globally”. Such statistics cannot be taken lightly.
The media can play a significant role in either enhancing or weakening suicide prevention efforts as stated in the WHO’s 2017 update on Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals.
Media reports about suicide, as stated in the 2017 update, may either minimise the risk of imitative (copycat) suicide or increase the risk thereof. The 2017 update further points out that media reports of suicide, particularly if the coverage is extensive, prominent, sensational, and explicitly describes the method of suicide indirectly, puts vulnerable individuals at risk of engaging in imitative behaviours.
The online posting on Facebook by Informanté of the graphic suicide image of Mr Pitt is seen in this context. The posting deserves a frontal attack and condemnation for various reasons.
Respecting and protecting privacy and dignity are amongst the basic tenets of journalism. It follows that special weight must be afforded to cultural customs concerning the privacy and dignity of people who are bereaved.
The online posting misses the mark in this regard. It also misses at least four (4) of the WHO’s responsible reporting guidelines namely:
i. not to place stories about suicide prominently,
ii. not to explicitly describe the method used,
iii. not provide details about the site/location, and
iv. not to use photographs, video footage or digital media links.
With that being said, the Facebook posting of the graphic suicide image of the late Mr Pitt by Informanté is hereby condemned in the strongest possible terms. It cannot be said that the publication of the impugned image was in the public interest.
Also, the subsequent post and comparison to the genocide is misplaced and uncalled for. The publication is hereby urged to remove and expunge the impugned image from its Facebook page.
Lastly, I am calling on media houses and journalists to acquaint themselves with the WHO’s 2017 update publication entitled Preventing suicide: A resource for media professionals. I also urge you to use your strategic positions in society responsibly by providing useful educational information about suicides and shun sensational and irresponsible reporting.
(This opinion was issued by the Media Ombudsman on 15 November 2018.)
The office of the Media Ombudsman received several complaints from the public during the course of last week following the online posting on Facebook by Informanté of an image of Mr Ivan Pitt who committed suicide after allegedly brutally murdering his girlfriend.
In this regard, the complaint lodged by Mr Werner van Zyl objects to the graphic nature of the post and viewing it as insensitive and in total disrespect for the bereaved family.
Mr Yochanaan Coetzee, on his part, complained about a subsequent post by the Informanté under the heading “Double Standards of Evil” which compares the images of the genocide to that of the late Mr Pitt’s case. In his view the posts are not only “grossly immoral, unethical and irresponsible” but also “tarnish the credibility of all Namibian print media”. He also views the comparison as gross and ghastly.
It is worth noting that the Informanté is not a member of the Editors’ Forum of Namibia (EFN). It is as such not bound by the Code of Ethics and Conduct. The Media Ombudsman, accordingly, has no jurisdiction over the publication.
However, given the public outcry and in the spirit of forging conducive working relations with all media houses I thought it wise to take up the matter with the publication. To this end, I immediately forwarded the complaint to the acting Editor, Ms Merja Iileka, of the Informanté and requested her to respond thereto. I also made follow-up calls to her and Mr Chris Jacobie, Head: Media of Trustco Group Holdings Ltd. To date none of them replied to my request. I can, accordingly, only assume that they opted to exercise their right to remain silent as non-EFN members.
Suicide, as noted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is a major public health problem. Namibia is no exception in this regard. In fact, on the 29th of October 2018 the New Era newspaper published grim statistics informing the nation that the country has the “fourth highest suicide rate in Africa and is rated eleventh globally”. Such statistics cannot be taken lightly.
The media can play a significant role in either enhancing or weakening suicide prevention efforts as stated in the WHO’s 2017 update on Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals.
Media reports about suicide, as stated in the 2017 update, may either minimise the risk of imitative (copycat) suicide or increase the risk thereof. The 2017 update further points out that media reports of suicide, particularly if the coverage is extensive, prominent, sensational, and explicitly describes the method of suicide indirectly, puts vulnerable individuals at risk of engaging in imitative behaviours.
The online posting on Facebook by Informanté of the graphic suicide image of Mr Pitt is seen in this context. The posting deserves a frontal attack and condemnation for various reasons.
Respecting and protecting privacy and dignity are amongst the basic tenets of journalism. It follows that special weight must be afforded to cultural customs concerning the privacy and dignity of people who are bereaved.
The online posting misses the mark in this regard. It also misses at least four (4) of the WHO’s responsible reporting guidelines namely:
i. not to place stories about suicide prominently,
ii. not to explicitly describe the method used,
iii. not provide details about the site/location, and
iv. not to use photographs, video footage or digital media links.
With that being said, the Facebook posting of the graphic suicide image of the late Mr Pitt by Informanté is hereby condemned in the strongest possible terms. It cannot be said that the publication of the impugned image was in the public interest.
Also, the subsequent post and comparison to the genocide is misplaced and uncalled for. The publication is hereby urged to remove and expunge the impugned image from its Facebook page.
Lastly, I am calling on media houses and journalists to acquaint themselves with the WHO’s 2017 update publication entitled Preventing suicide: A resource for media professionals. I also urge you to use your strategic positions in society responsibly by providing useful educational information about suicides and shun sensational and irresponsible reporting.
(This opinion was issued by the Media Ombudsman on 15 November 2018.)
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