Online media reporting of prisoner's suicide in India during 2011 to 2021

Abstract

Incarcerated prisoners represent a high-risk group for suicide. Little is known about the quality of media reporting of suicide in this group. Online media reports discussing suicide among prisoners in India were identified by searching three internet search engines and newspaper websites. All such reports between January 2011 to January 2021 were included. The search was carried out in English and five local Indian languages. Quality of media reporting was assessed against media reporting guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the Press council of India (PCI). A total of 120 relevant news reports were retrieved. Most reports pertained to death by suicide (76.7%). Majority of articles mentioned the identity (64.1%) of the person and reported the method of suicide (74.1%). Monocausal explanations (38.3%), illustration of reports with photographs (29.2%) and use of sensational language (48.3%) were commonly observed breaches in reporting. In contrast, helpful reporting practices such as discussing warning signs of suicide (1.6%) and mentioning details about suicide support services (0.8%) were rare. Media reporting of prisoners in India is poorly adherent to WHO and PCI reporting guidelines. There is little focus on educating the reader while reporting a suicide. Concerted efforts are needed to address this important issue.