Press Council finds Courier-Mail breached rules in suicide story

February 9, 2017 9:51

The Australian Press Council has found the Courier-Mail in Queensland to have breached rules around the reporting of suicides when it carried a story syndicated from NSW on the apparent suicide/murder involving a woman and her son.

The story, published under the headline “Mother, son found dead beneath cliff at Maroubra” on March 31, 2016, reported on the death of a woman and her two-year-old son and included photographs identifying the scene, a number of quotes from family members and an apparent suicide note.

Commenting on the substance of the story the Press Council noted: “It said the mother ‘described killing herself and [her son] as the ‘bravest thing’ she had ever done and quoted a ‘family member [who] also paid tribute’ as having said: ‘People say what a coward, but I say how brave was that …’”

Citing rules under section 6 that require media to treat suicide reporting with sensitivity the Council noted the story “referred to the method and location of the incident and extracts from an apparent suicide note”.

Be a member to keep reading

Join Mumbrella Pro to access the Mumbrella archive and read our premium analysis of everything under the media and marketing umbrella.

Become a member

Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

Topics