13 Therefore, the way that suicide is addressed in news outlets can be a very important and modifiable influence on suicide in the general population. 12 Other means of broadcasting the need to get help and specific promotion of helplines can also help prevent suicides. It is also known that positive news reporting, such as people coping with adversity, can have beneficial effects on suicidal behaviour.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly such a time, with deaths globally so far totalling over 6 million 10 and concerns having been expressed early in the pandemic about the possibility of it having a significant impact on suicide rates. This is likely to be particularly relevant at times of crisis. 9 However, general reporting about suicide, including opinion pieces, may also be important, especially those which include predictions about possible rises in suicides.

6 Evidence for this is mainly focused on news reports of specific suicides, especially deaths of celebrities 7 8 or those using unusual suicide methods. The nature of news reporting of suicide is also important in relation to influencing suicide risk in the general population.

3 More recently, research has shown that the language and tone of public health information can have a significant impact on COVID-19 vaccine beliefs and intentions, 4 as well as potentially increasing anxiety and misplaced health-protective behaviours. 2 Reporting on health issues can also have positive benefits, an example being the wide reporting of the illness and subsequent death from cervical cancer of the British reality TV star, Jade Goody, which was followed by an upsurge in cancer screening attendances. While subsequent studies found no evidence that MMR caused autism, some parents remained concerned about the safety of the vaccine, leading to refusal or delay in its administration. 1 Another example was the public concern that followed extensive media attention to a report on a small series of children who developed autism after receiving the measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine. One example was the changes in statin use in the UK associated with the widely published controversy in late 2013/early 2014 over the risk–benefit balance of statins for prevention of adverse cardiac events, with an increased number of patients stopping taking statins following this publicity. News reporting on major health issues can have profound influences on health-related behaviour of the public.

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