Yet the result, tragically, is the same. Those are the traditional rules of news coverage that result in less coverage of suicide than homicide. Deborah Davis, founder of the Survivors of Suicide support group in Jacksonville, said there is a stigma against suicide that prevents people from talking about it and the news media from covering it. Thus, the dangers and warning signs don't receive enough attention, she said. It becomes a learning experience.
Untreated depression is epidemic.
You're really doing a disservice to the community without making it clear what an epidemic it is. Though not every suicide victim suffers from clinical depression, knowing the warning signs of depression and the more severe warning signs of suicide are keys to preventing it. In fact, the U.S. surgeon general last week issued an action plan to reduce the rate of suicide. One argument against covering suicide is concern for the feelings of the survivors. Relatively new journalistic ethics of privacy and sensitivity come into play.