Suicide and the Press

This article reports on a presentation by Jerome Motto on the effects on newspaper reporting on suicide rates. A study was conducted of the effects of a 268-day newspaper strike in Detroit. The overall suicide rate during the strike was the lowest in the five-year period studied, being 20% below the mean for the 4 years when newspapers were being published. The rate for women dropped by 50%. On the other hand, an increase in male suicide by firearms was noted in the 55-64 age group.