15 හැවිරිදි සිසුන් දෙදෙනෙකු මිය යෑමේ පුවත රූපවාහිනී සිංහල ප්‍රධාන පුවත් හා සිංහල පුවත්පත් වාර්තා කළ ආකාරය

Abstract

On July 03, 2024, Rupavahini, Hiru TV, TV Derana, Swarnavahini, ITN and Siyatha, and on July 04, 2024, the Divaina, Lankadeepa, Aruna, Dinamina, Ada and Mawbima newspapers reported the deaths of two 15-year-old students as suicides highlighting unnecessary details that violated ethical guidelines. Except for Siyatha, none of the television channels or newspapers mentioned any helplines. All television channels showed scenes of the place of the attempted suicide and Hiru TV even broadcast CCTV footage of the students without blurring. All newspapers described the method of suicide. Divaina included information about a previous suicide attempt while Lankadeepa reported it in a way that instigated fear and shock. Media is advised to follow ethical guidelines when reporting sensitive incidents such as suicides and avoid negative or sensationalist reporting.