Media

“The Contagion of Suicide Reporting” Seminar and Press conference

07 Sep 2013

 

A seminar on the Contagion of Suicide Reporting was held at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) today (September 7, 2013). It was held before the World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 to gather experienced researchers and media professionals to discuss the relationship between media reports and suicide and to seek to establish mutual agreements on how to report suicide news responsibly.

Professor Paul S.F. Yip, Director of HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, released at the seminar the latest data on the suicide in Hong Kong in 2012.

According to the report from Coroner’s Court (death registry date up to July 31, 2013), there were 750 and 841 suicide incidences in 2011 and 2012 respectively (Note: the 2012 figure is tentative). The suicide rates were 10.6 per 100,000 people in 2011 and 11.8 for 2012. The rates in Hong Kong had remained at around 13.0 to 14.0 per 100,000 people since 2006, before it dropped to a historical low in 2011. Unfortunately, the tentative suicide rate in 2012 was slightly higher than in 2011. Suicide rate among the elderly (60+) was as high as 20.9 per 100,000 (295 cases), which was the highest among all age groups. Meanwhile, suicide cases among middle-age females (40 - 59) and young males (15 - 24) also deserve our concerns. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of incidences of middle-age women committing suicide increased from 90 to 120 (suicide rate from 7.1 to 9.3 per 100,000). Among young men, the number of cases increased from 31 to 44 (from 7.1 to 10.2 per 100,000). Professor Paul S.F. Yip said the community should de-stigmatize suicidal behaviors and be more supportive to those suffering from mental illness and suicidal problems to encourage them to seek help.

Moreover, 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. The Hong Kong Press Council has also at the symposium released a code of practice as suggestive guidelines for the media when they report suicide news. The guidelines are available at: http://www.presscouncil.org.hk/ch/web_info.php?db=news&id=58.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Jane Cheung of the Hong Kong Press Council at tel: 2570-4677 / 6400-9657, email: janecheung@presscouncil.org.hk; or Mr. Rickey Yau of HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at tel: 2831-5232 / 9643-0365, email: rickey@hku.hk.

Speakers at the symposium

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.