Guidance on dealing with the press when bereaved by suicide

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is ‘the independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK.’ On their website they have a page on ‘Advice for the public,’ which provides information for the public on how the press can report on particular topics. This covers areas such as ‘press intrusion’ and ‘how the press reports death’, which are two things that could be useful for someone who is newly bereaved by suicide.

In the guidance on ‘Help with Press Harassment,’ IPSO gives clear advice on potential harassment within press reporting of death. It discusses Private advisory notices,’ (PAN’s) and how they can be useful whilst dealing with this. This guidance provides details on this topic and informs readers that despite the fact that PAN’s do not have any legal powers, they are very effective in dealing with different concerns and can put editors on notice. This means that journalists will have to correct any errors or omissions which could impact the interpretation of their article. It then gives advice on situations where you would be able to use this and provides more information and resources on how IPSO can help to explain how the Editor’s Code may apply to your situation. There is currently not any advice that applies to situations of suicide bereavement but the website is being updated soon with this information.

IPSO also provides advice for the public on ‘Press Reporting on a Death.’ This  document provides information for those who have recently lost someone close to them on how magazines or newspapers might report about a death or inquest. IPSO gives details on why newspapers report deaths, what journalists are allowed to do and what rules they have to follow. They also provide tips on what to expect from journalists and social media. 

This guide is particularly useful for those who have been bereaved by suicide as there is a section on the extra rules for journalists surrounding suicide reporting. It talks through the inquest that will occur and how information may be required on things like the state of the person’s mind before their death or other personal difficulties that would otherwise be private. However, because of the ‘Code,’ details are limited and it makes sure that journalists cannot report ‘excessive detail,’ or evidence. 

The ‘Press Reporting on a Death’ article also discusses topics such as what rules journalists must follow when reporting a death which includes approaching members of the public with sympathy and not breaking the news to immediate members of the family. It also talks about the importance of making sure the reports are accurate. The guidance delves into what an inquest will involve and how journalists have a legal right to be there unless the coroner puts a restriction out on reporting. There is information on details surrounding the inquest, for example, that the accuracy of the evidence doesn’t have to be checked but journalists have to be sure to report what was said accurately. The guide gives tips on what you should be expecting from journalists and the correct way to respond. There is also useful information on the ‘Code,’ and the rules journalists have to follow under it. It gives guidance on how to use the media if friends and family want to as this can help when paying tribute and for future campaigns. We think that this document is very useful in understanding how the media and journalists can be helpful. The guide allows you to learn about what journalists may need to contact you for, for example, details about the person, memorials, photographs.  This guide also gives a list of resources of organisations that can help during this time too. 

These guides are useful to anyone who has just lost someone to suicide as they  provide information on difficult topics that can be hard to deal with alone. It also gives information on how to get more advice elsewhere. They are very informative and easy to follow and can help those bereaved by suicide to understand more about how to deal with the press if needed.