“A MIXED BAG”: QUALITY OF NEWSPAPER REPORTING OF SUICIDE DEATHS IN THE LEADING NEWSPAPERS FROM WEST BENGAL, A CONTENT ANALYSIS

BACKGROUND: Responsible media reporting is one of the effective population-level suicide prevention strategies. This is the first study exploring quality of newspaper reporting in West Bengal, an eastern state of India with high prevalence of suicides. METHODS: A deductive content analysis was performed in articles reporting suicide deaths from seven leading newspapers of West Bengal (WB), based on circulation (study period: six months. Quality of reporting included adherence to the WHO 2018 and Press Council of India (PCI) 2019 guidelines. RESULTS: 499 articles were retrieved. Most were brief and not in the headlines. The average number of articles per week was 2.6. While 77.1% of articles had potentially harmful characteristics, 50.2% also reported helpful features based on the WHO guidelines. 39% of the articles did not follow PCI guidelines. 70% of articles linked suicide to mental health, however it was often a direct link and monocausal. Details of location, assumptions, misinformation and interviews of bereaved were common. Even though two-thirds of articles contained statements from professionals; research data and prevention strategies were rare. CONCLUSION: Quality of media reporting in WB was a mixed bag, with scope for improvement. Recommendations for constructive suicide reporting are highlighted based on these findings.