Event

The way media covers suicide can influence behavior, either negatively by contributing to contagion, or positively by encouraging help-seeking. Journalists have an important role to play in helping their audience better understand suicide – especially those whom are at risk or know someone at risk – and how to encourage help-seeking behaviors. During the 2018 National Suicide Prevention month and week, the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) in collaboration with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention – the nation’s public-private partnership for suicide prevention – hosted an educational media session on September 11th about suicide prevention and the media to:

• Cultivate relationships between suicide prevention subject matter experts and content creators,
• Discuss best practices for reporting on suicide and suicide prevention, including how to create stories that support messages of hope and help,
• Gain insight about accurate reporting on the national public perception data about suicide. The discussion will be an opportunity to explore best practices in reporting on suicide and hear from experts about ways to cover suicide in news media and hear from journalists whom have covered effective, authentic, and accurate suicide stories in the past.

The discussion was an opportunity to explore best practices in reporting on suicide and hear from experts about ways to cover suicide in news media and learn from journalists whom have covered effective, authentic, and accurate suicide stories in the past.
Speakers included:

• Mr. Mark Weber, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs/Human Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Co-Lead, Action Alliance’s Changing the Conversation Priority; Executive Committee Member, Action Alliance)
• Ms. Colleen Carr, Director, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
• Ms. Lisa Esposito, Patient Advice reporter at U.S. News & World Report
• Ms. Kirsten Powers, Political Analyst, CNN; Columnist, USA Today
• Dr. John Draper, Executive Director, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Mr. Carlton Houston, Assistant News Director, WUSA9; former board member for Radio Television Digital News and Association; Award-Winning Journalist 
• Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Executive Director, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education; Member, Action Alliance’s Changing the Conversation Priority     

Access the webcast recording and event photos!