Topic Tuesday// Shaping Perception: Addressing Stigma in the Media // Tuesday 27th February 2024 5:30-7PM AEDT

Some self-care that helps me when I come across something triggering in the media is firstly understanding that it is triggering for me and not engaging with the content anymore.

This is actually harder than it seems, especially if the article or media platform creates anxiety, it might be hard to close it, but it is important that I don't get trapped down a rabbit hole of misinformation or information that may impact me negatively.

I also try and limit my time on social media or with media platforms that I know carry misinformation or triggering information.

Being kind to myself afterwards with other self-care that helps me (e.g. reading, walking, engaging with friends) also helps to relax me and improve my mood after being triggered by something.

Hi @chibam, you're right, the due process piece adds extra layers of complication. Media outlets will often be prohibited from describing a cause of death until a coronial investigation has taken place, but will implicitly acknowledge a death by suicide through providing crisis support line numbers and services. This doesn't help the public perception though, which may end up being that such things are not spoken by name.

Similarly with discussing suicide through social media channels, a lot of brands will add suicide-related words into their filter, along with swear words and offensive language, to avoid risky discussions that they're not equipped to moderate or handle. The same result ensues, that you need to be guarded in your language about even bringing the topic up.

I'm glad we can provide a space here for honest discussion about these topics.

Everyone experiences and manages triggers differently, so finding strategies that work best for you is crucial.

My best recommendation would be to come here to the forums to talk about your experience.

Give yourself permission to recognise and validate how the content makes you feel!

Lastly, report the content to StigmaWatch! I'll talk about how you can do that in my next post.

Onto our last discussion question for the evening: How can people get involved in StigmaWatch @Madeleine13?

Great points @espressologic and @chibam - it is a really complex issue. When we are talking about safe reporting of suicide in the media from the StigmaWatch program perspective we are looking at specific detail.

There is considerable evidence to show that media articles covering suicide plans, method and

location can drive copycat behaviour in vulnerable readers.

The Australian Press Council and Mindframe strongly recommend that journalists avoid including details around suicide method and location from media content.

You can learn more about suicide and the media here.

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@espressologic wrote:

Hi @chibam, you're right, the due process piece adds extra layers of complication. Media outlets will often be prohibited from describing a cause of death until a coronial investigation has taken place, but will implicitly acknowledge a death by suicide through providing crisis support line numbers and services. This doesn't help the public perception though, which may end up being that such things are not spoken by name.

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From my POV as a suicidal person, I can only speculate as to the effect these practices have upon the non-suicidal community's perceptions. But my best guess would be that these practices cultivate a perception amongst the community that: "Suicidal people are such delicate little ticking time bombs that we can't say much at all about these issues, for risk of setting them off. So we'd best not talk about it at all, as much as possible."

When in reality, the absolute reverse is the truth: we need to talk about these problems, so that we can start working towards the solutions!

First and foremost Become a StigmaWatcher! You can sign up on the StigmaWatch webpage (https://www.sane.org/get-involved/advocacy/stigmawatch) to receive updates and resources.

Report harmful content: If you encounter media that perpetuates negative stereotypes or misrepresents mental health, report it to us via the easy reporting form on the StigmaWatch page. We can then assess it against the Mindframe Guidelines and work with the journalist or outlet to make changes.

Share your experiences: Consider sharing your story on relevant online platforms or forums. Your voice can help others feel less alone and challenge harmful narratives.

Familiarise yourself with the Mindframe Guidelines: Understanding the Mindframe Guidelines: https://www.mindframe.org.au/guidelines equips you to identify responsible reporting practices!

I actually noticed that on our train line they are telling us when someone has committed suicide, which used to be announced as 'someone has been unwell,' as far as I can gather.

My way of coming down from something triggering me in the media is to talk to friends or jump on here and chat about it!

Yep @chibam

Maybe we could start a new thread and call it: "Taboo Talk" and just talk about the shit nobody else wants to hear? 🤣

Of course, we'd put a trigger warning on the front page or something.

But after that it's a free for all.

Oh, right. We're supposed to be all sensitive and inclusive and considerate of feelings and all that...

Let me ask this then: How do you talk about things freely if you've got to be careful not to offend someone?

Restricting language, or censoring it, or even changing the phrasing we're 'supposed' to use is really just as bad as saying 'you can't say that!'

And THAT perpetuates the stigma associated with it.

FFS just let people talk and stop trying to control them.

I'm out.

~ K

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@Madeleine13 wrote:

There is considerable evidence to show that media articles covering suicide plans, method and

location can drive copycat behaviour in vulnerable readers.

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I hear that, @Madeleine13 ; but I think it's also important to factor in how overly-sensored coverage can actually drive readers to gratuitously unsensored coverage.

A couple years back, a minor celebrity I was familiar with suddenly died. No mention of a cause of death in any of the coverage; mentions of suicide were very deliberately avoided like the plague.

I was curious about what happened to the guy (suicide? murder? accident? sudden illness?), so I searched and searched for a bit more insight. When I eventually found a media outlet that was brave enough to mention sucide, I got way more then what I was looking for. His method, the location, what the eyewitnesses first encountered were all described in gratuitous detail. I only wanted to know whether it was suicide or not; I wasn't looking for all that.

But because every other mainstream outlet was afraid to say the word "suicide", they drove me, the curious member of the public, further afield to a media outlet that gave me all the content that these media coverage guidelines are supposedly trying to protect me from.