Media

“The Contagion of Suicide Reporting” Seminar and Press conference
and release of 2012 Suicide in Hong Kong Report by
HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention

05 Sep 2013

A seminar on the Contagion of Suicide Reporting will be held at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Saturday (September 7, 2013). Professor Paul S.F. Yip, Director of HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, will release the latest data on the suicide in Hong Kong in 2012 and answer questions by the media in the press conference immediately after the seminar.

Suicide news appears on Hong Kong media almost every day. Following the media’s heavy and sensational coverage, some new suicide methods, such as charcoal burning suicide, spread out quickly from Hong Kong to other Asian countries. Besides, media representation reinforces some people’s perceptions with suicide and therefore stereotypes suicidal behaviors, which may lead to copycat effect.

As the World Suicide Prevention Day is coming soon, the symposium gathers experienced researchers and media professionals to discuss the relationship between media reports and suicide and aims to establish mutual agreements on how to report suicide news responsibly.

Details of the press conference are as follows:

Date:      September 7, 2013 (Saturday)
Time:      2:15 to 5:00 pm
Venue:     Room 3.28, 3rd Floor, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus of the University of Hong Kong (map)

Program Rundown

Members of the press who would like to cover the event are requested to complete the following reply slip and return it to the Hong Kong Press Council on or before 6pm, September 6, 2013 (Friday).

For enquiries, please contact Ms. Cheung at tel: 2570-4677 or Mr. Yau at tel: 2831-5232.

For registration and venue map, please visit: 

Speakers :

Prof. Paul S.F. Yip
Professor Paul S.F. Yip is Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration and Director of HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, HKU. He has been vice-chairman of International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) since 2009. His research interests include population structure, mental health, suicide prevention, demographics, and social statistics.

Dr. King-wa Fu
Dr King-wa Fu is Assistant Professor of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre, HKU. His research interests include media and mental health/suicide, youth’s media usage, and social media studies. He was a journalist at Hong Kong Economic Journal.

Ms. Jeannie Wu
Born in Hong Kong and obtained a Bachelor degree in comparative literature and arts and a Master degree in Culture and Literature, both from HKU, Ms. Jeannie Wu is currently working as a freelance writer and an art administrator. In 2010, she married her boyfriend, an anesthetist, after dating for years. Unfortunately, her husband was suffering from severe depression and died by suicide.

Ms. Siu-ling Lai
Ms. Siu-ling Lai is Supervisor of the Boys’ & Girls’ Association of Hong Kong, Tsing Yi District. She has 20 years’ experience in children and youth counseling and case management and has comprehensive and in-depth understanding of children and youth problems. She has been working at various service settings including school, youth service centre, children development centre, outreach projects, etc.

Ms. Phyllis Tsang
Ms Phyllis Tsang is Deputy Assignment Editor of Ming Pao. She has over ten years’ experience in journalism and worked previously with Next Magazine and South China Morning Post. Her news stories cover over a wide range including criminal news, human rights stories, and political and election news. She won the Human Rights Press Awards with a report on the police’s improper use of pepper spray. She was an executive committee member and volunteer secretary of the Hong Kong Journalists Association during 2008-2012, and is an editorial member of The Journalist, an official publication of the association.

Prof. Joseph Man Chan
Professor Joseph Man Chan is Chair Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication and Director of Centre for Chinese Media and Comparative Communication Research, CUHK. His research focuses on the intersection of International Communication, Political Communication and Journalism Studies. His works concern with cross-border communication, interaction between power structure and mass media, public opinion and public narratives, public opinion and public narratives, social movements and the media, journalists’ professionalism, cultural integration, and media reform in China. Recently, Professor Chan has developed great interest in photography. He was Director of the CUHK School of Journalism and Communication, and founder and Editor-in-chief of its publication Communication and Society. He was Changjiang Chair Professor at Fudan University’s School of Journalism, and Chairman of the Chinese Communication Association. He is currently serving also as Chairman of the Hong Kong Press Council.