Changes in Media Reporting of Suicide in Australia Between 2000/01 and 2006/07

Australian newspaper, television, & radio items on suicide were retrieved over two 12-month periods pre- & postintroduction of “Reporting Suicide & Mental Illness”. Identifying & descriptive information were extracted for each item. Quality ratings were made for a stratified random sample of items. There was almost a two-fold increase in reporting of suicide during the study period. The nature of reporting showed variability with an increased emphasis on items about individuals’ experiences & a reduced emphasis on policy & program initiatives. There was significant improvement on almost all individual dimensions of quality & overall quality. (13 refs.)