Anderton: Don't relax media ban on suicide
BY LOIS CAIRNS
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AS A father who lost a daughter to suicide, former associate health minister Jim Anderton is convinced that no good will come of relaxing the rules surrounding the media's reporting of suicide.
The Christchurch MP had to get a court injunction to stop media outlets reporting his daughter's mental health problems in the fragile months leading up to her death in 1994.
That experience has left him convinced the media can't always be trusted to show restraint and compassion when it comes to reporting the circumstances surrounding suicide.
Anderton is quite happy – and indeed keen – for the media to talk about the issue of suicide, but he is adamant they should not be able to report on the specifics of any suicide.
"You can talk to me at any time about the issue, but what you won't get from me is a romanticised version of suicide. It is actually an aberration in behaviour.
"It is actually, in nine out of 10 cases, an example of a mental health issue, not the action of someone who is seriously, intelligently and carefully considering their options. It's not – these are people who are sick," said Anderton.
Media are currently restricted in what they can report on suicides under the Coroners Act 2006, which bars the release of all information except name, age, occupation and finding of self-inflicted death, unless releasing other information would do no harm.
However, the chief coroner, Judge Neil MacLean, has indicated a willingness to relax rules, saying he believes responsible reporting on suicide could save lives. He is due to discuss the issue with the Media Freedom Committee on Wednesday.
Prime Minister John Key has also signalled he is willing to review the rules, which he says are "somewhat defunct" now that information about suicides is so readily available on the internet.
But Anderton, who had responsibility for suicide prevention during his tenure as associate health minister in Helen Clark's Labour-led government, believes it would be a mistake to deviate from the status quo.
"You can't describe in graphic, emotive detail the method of suicide, and there are very good reasons for that. The literature and the studies are absolutely crystal [clear] that that raises the danger of copycats."
Anderton said while the level of detail about suicides contained on internet chat rooms and social networking sites was out of the government's control, it could still exercise some control over what appeared in the mainstream media by setting boundaries on what could be reported.
It was true more people died by suicide than through road accidents, but that had been the case for decades – and New Zealand's suicide toll was trending down. Successive governments had committed billions of dollars to improving road safety, but only a fraction of that had been spent on mental health services.
"That's where the problems lie – in the mental health system," Anderton said.
Massey University PhD student Craig Colhoun, who is writing a doctoral thesis on reporting suicide, said more than 100 published articles have found that suicide media reports are associated with increases in subsequent suicide rates.
"It is believed that suicide contagion contributes to approximately 1% to 5% of all suicides, with some estimates as high as 13%," Colhoun said. "The important issue for me is not whether the press is given more freedom to talk about suicides, but rather how the suicide articles or reports are portrayed by the media to their audiences."
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Does anywhere else in the world have similar restrictions on reporting?
@ Justice# 23 - If you were speaking 'truth' and if you were giving a reality check, then by all means I would be open to it.
The reality is Suicide is very real and many people are faced with losing a loved one and trying to figure out why - all you did was nastily attack someone who is both a victim of a loved ones suicide and a public figure.
This makes you nothing more than a low in intellect cowardly person that attacks with no facts on a public forum. If you had anything of value to add, I would be so open to listen and banter with you.
But you are clearly here to just take swipes at people and make yourself look a bit foolish. Have fun with that. And I stick to my orginal comment staunchly.
Disgusted by your original comment, lacking in thought, intellect and relevance!
Sorry for the immediately second posting. But nina #28: That expresses my thoughts so much more succinctly. Excellent comment.
@Justice: A couple of observations: 1 - you don't know what the 'truth' is in this situation. Like me, you have very little knowledge of the specifics of Mr Anderton's daughter's suicide.
2 - even if you do know everything thing there is to know about it, you don't have to be a p***k about it. Give the man a little compassion.
Having said that, objectively you have a point, but how about making it like this: "when we talk about this issue, we have to acknowledge that there are many factors going into someone's decision to take their own life. Some of it is the way the person was brought up (whether influences from parents or peers or others), some biological, and some of it is the influence of media on an already unstable mind."
Doesn't that sound better than what appears to be an attack on someone obviously still grieving?
As for drunk driving - there are arguments for curtailing media reporting of all crime. I have made this comment before - we tend to simply give attention to hardened criminals, reinforcing their behaviour. Hell - we give the really bad ones (the serial killers and rapists) names. "The Parnell Panther", "The Moors Murderers", "Yorkshire Ripper".
The issue needs to be discussed openly and calmly. That does not necessitate the reporting of individual cases.
Justice #23 Your comment was snide and nasty. And as for the 'truth' - there is a significant body of evidence that shows reporting on suicide exacerbates the problem. There are a number of reasons this occurs, but to suggest that reporting restrictions is about 'hiding the truth' is just a lie. The restrictions are based on content, placement and detail. The restrictions are required because of the collated evidence showing previous reporting practices were causing harm - ie causing more suicidal behaviour. Now, that is the truth.
@By the way stats per week - road accident - 5, suicides 10, accident at home 15.
Thats it im staying tucked up in bed and ordering delivery's.
We benefit from discussing these issues, its how we do this that need debate.
The media's insatiable appetite for ratings driven coverage of issues concerns me here
"@Rick #14
Godwin's Law! A breach in the most unlikely of places!
Ridiculous..."
No - neither the N**i word nor the H****r word were mentioned so no breach.
I have to agree with Rick - NZ is one of the few countries that still possesses an office called "Official Censor". Many countries have adopted less controversial titles for the role.
@ 16: Thanks for that. My bad.
I personally think it is stupid and not productive. If publishing the facts would stop more people from getting into the depths of depression and look for help before committing suicide it would be immensely valuable. It is not something that can be swept under the carpet - get real.
Which other country have got this archaic law? Addressing issues openly will raise the issues - going into denial will not!
By the way stats per week - road accident - 5, suicides 10, accident at home 15.
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but he is adamant they should not be able to report on the specifics of any suicide
I dont wanta know how ppls have killed themselfs-but I dont want it hidden-I want breakdowns on-Race-Gender-Socio-economic-Age-etc -
Also I wanta know the rates of young ppls killing-themselfs after- 2years outta group homes-I now know of 15 suicides becos I live near one of these so called--Therapeutic Communitys- they dont seem2be working-
Respite Units--Pal walked out-told staff she was going2kill herself and NO one did any-thing-contacted any one-Iam heart-broken-going too a funeral of a beautiful young women-hearing REM-Everybody hurts-( played-nothing Romantic about suicide--please-as a Kiwi I feel I have the right2know- As a person with mental illness i have the right 2 know-
ALso please some one look in2some of these Respite Units work-dont work-