Press Council upholds complaint against FHM magazine for 'worst ever' reporting of suicide

Release date: 26 Jul 2006

The Press Council has supported appropriate reporting of suicide in the Australian press by upholding a complaint against FHM magazine, lodged by The Hunter Institute of Mental Health, SANE Australia, Lifeline Australia and Suicide Prevention Australia. This decision is a victory that protects vulnerable readers in Australia, particularly those affected by mental illness or suicidal thoughts.

These leading mental health and suicide prevention organisations lodged a joint complaint to the Press Council regarding the article ‘Suicide: Is it all it’s cracked up to be?’,published by this magazine for young men in April 2006. The article is considered to be the worst story about suicide that any of these four organisations have ever seen in the Australian media.

The article described in graphic and explicit detail nine different methods of suicide and rated the effectiveness of these nine methods by way of a ‘verdict’. It also featured colour photographs of actual deaths, and trivialising graphics and language.

Of great concern was the level of detail given about each method and the absence of any information about how serious this issue is for many Australians – particularly men. The readers of FHM fall within the group currently at highest risk of suicide in Australia, that being men aged 25-45.

While media professionals are encouraged to discuss the issue of suicide, it is important to consider the potential impact on vulnerable people of media coverage that describes methods of suicide. People in despair are often unable to identify solutions to their problems, and may be influenced by what they read.

In fact, many media organisations have worked with mental health and suicide prevention organisations to develop helpful and insightful pieces that encourage help-seeking behaviour. The FHM piece was not one of these examples and in many ways has undone some of the very good work being done by media organisations across the country.

This is a significant ethical issue for journalists, not just a case of being 'politically correct'. Something the Press Council has supported in this adjudication.

Media professionals can include helpline numbers such as Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) to help readers access support and information.

For further information about reporting suicide, media professionals are encouraged to visit the Mindframe website (www.mindframe-media.info), which contains information on reporting mental illness and suicide.

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Media Contact: Andrea Kincade (ph: 03 9682 5933)