This study assesses the effect on the suicide rate of the 268 day newspaper blackout in Detroit Nov. 1967 through Aug. 1968. As compared with the same period of the the prior 4 years & the subsequent year, the suicide rate declined significantly, especially for women under 35. Although there is still much to learn about the effects of the press, it is indicated that sensationalism may precipitate many types of destructive behavior including suicide.