GASP organised strengthening responsible and ethical reporting on suicide among media practitioners
The Ghana Association for Suicide Prevention (GASP) has organised a one-day capacity-building aimed at strengthening responsible and ethical reporting on suicide among media practitioners.
The programme, held in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Ghana’s Department of Psychology, aimed at raising awareness on the WHO’s guidelines on suicide reporting, while also educating participants on the application of localised guidelines within the same context.
The initiative was held under the theme “Role of Media in Suicide Prevention in Ghana: Application of the Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide (GGAMRS) and the Ghana Suicide Reporting Scorecard (GSRS) for Appropriate Media Reporting of Self-Harm and Suicide.
Professor Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie, President of GASP, said there were an estimated 727,000 suicide cases globally in 2021, according to the WHO, with 73 per cent of them occurring in low- and middle-income countries, noting that it was estimated that a total of 8.1 per cent of people out of 100,000 people in Ghana die as a result of suicide
He emphasised that causative factors of suicide prevention were complex and not fully understood, and could not be attributed to a single cause, adding that evidence showed that the role of the media in enhancing or weakening suicide prevention could not be underrated.
Prof Quarshie noted that individuals experiencing suicidal distress often exhibited unilinear patterns of thinking, in which perceived options for coping appear limited or nonexistent; hence, the need for responsible preventative presentation of suicide-related stories as a means of broadening perspectives rather than reinforcing hopelessness.
He added that WHO had come up with an approach called ‘The Live Life’ that has four elements, including leadership, interventions, visions and evaluation, that would help governments and communities in suicide prevention.
He explained that the association would commence a structured review of participants’ reportage on suicide, focusing on adherence to established ethical guidelines, accuracy of language, sensitivity toward affected individuals and communities, and others to identify gaps in practice and find solutions for them immediately.
Professor Joseph Osarfo, a Patron of GASP, facilitating the session on guidelines for reporting suicide on digital media platforms, urged journalists and digital publishers to exercise heightened caution when relying on online sources for suicide-related news and explanatory reports.
Prof Osarfo emphasised that the credibility and reliability of sources must be carefully verified, noting that poorly sourced content could cause significant harm.
He advised that hyperlinks embedded in suicide-related stories should direct audiences to evidence-based suicide prevention resources rather than to unregulated content.
He highlighted the critical role of content moderation and noted that managers of media websites have an ethical responsibility to ensure that comment sections do not become spaces that normalise or encourage suicidal behaviour but rather respond to reader concerns and questions.
Dr Johnny Andoh-Arthur, the Secretary of GASP, cautioned that media reports on suicide could significantly influence public behaviour and beliefs, particularly among vulnerable audiences, and emphasised that irresponsible or sensational reporting might contribute to imitation.
Dr Andoh-Arthur urged journalists to approach suicide-related stories with heightened ethical sensitivity, saying that such reports should not be given prominent placement, such as front-page coverage, nor should they include explicit details about methods, personal notes, or visual images of deceased persons.
He advocated for reporting that prioritises public education and coping support and adheres strictly to established ethical and professional guidelines, thereby reducing the risk of copycat behaviour while promoting responsible journalism.
The programme captured media practitioners from the Greater Accra, Central Volta and Eastern Regions, and they were given materials that would practically help them to effectively report suicide prevention.
