Examining adherence to suicide reporting guidelines in initial reports on high-profile celebrity suicides

Background: Research has found varying adherence by media professionals to recommendations for reporting on suicide. Aims: We compared adherence to recommendations for what to do and what not to do when reporting on suicide in initial reports of high-profile celebrity suicides in major media outlets. Method: A total of 100 articles published in news outlets during 2004–2018 and reporting on celebrity suicides were examined for adherence to reporting guidelines using content analysis. Results: Articles frequently adhered to guidelines for what not to do when reporting on suicide (83%), but rarely adhered to guidelines for what to do (26%). Limitations: This study was a single cross-sectional analysis and may not generalize to different outlets, guidelines, or countries. Conclusion: While news articles frequently do not include harmful information, they also do not include potentially protective content.