දිවි අහිමි කරගැනීම් සහ මාධ්‍ය ආචාර ධර්ම

Abstract

During the month of October 2021, several newspapers and tv news reported on a suicide, violating the following ethical guidelines on suicide; Ceylon Today, Mawbima, and Divaina had given prominence to the suicide news, while Aruna, Dinamina and Ada did not report it prominently. Ceylon Today, Mawbima, Divaina, Aruna, Dinamina, Ada (October 28, 2022), Hiru and Derana (October 27, 2022) mentioned the method of suicide and did not publish helplines with the story.

On October 31, 2021, Silumina, Sunday Divaina, Sunday Island, and Sunday Lankadeepa reported on a murder-suicide in Italy, where the news reports contained the following ethical violations; publishing the method of suicide, publishing photographs of the victim and not publishing suicide emergency helplines.

On November 4, 2021, Aruna and Divaina published a news story on a suicide, which mentioned the method of suicide, published photographs of the deceased, simplified the reasons for suicide, and did not include helplines, which are violations of media ethical guidelines on suicide.

On November 10, 2021, Mawbima reported on a suicide attempt, which included extensive descriptions of the suicide, simplified the reasons for the attempt, and did not include helplines, which are in violation of the media ethics on suicide.

On November 16, 2021, Divaina published a story of a suicide in the US by a US soldier, which did not include helplines. By contrast, Miami Herald which reported the same on November 11 was careful to publish helplines.

Aruna and Divaina reported on a suicide inside a prison on November 15, which, though a news of public interest, did not include emergency helplines, which is against media ethics regarding suicide.

On November 18 and 22, 2022 Aruna reported on two deaths due to suicide. Both news reports did not comply with the media ethical guidelines on suicide reporting in the following manner; simplifying the reasons for the suicides, mentioning the method of suicide, and not publishing helplines.