LASPN Report to the Community, released September 24, 2019
For any media related matters and to identify spokes people for media interviews please email info@lasuicidepreventionnetwork.org. This email is monitored during and after business hours, but if you are working on a time sensitive deadline, please mention this in the subject line.
When reporting on a suicide or suicide prevention related event, please include a Suicide Prevention Resource and encourage community members to seek help and learn the warning signs for suicide. A list of resources to include can be found here. We also ask that you avoid details of the method used, and avoid language that points to a single cause for the suicide. It is natural to want to find and point to an explanation, but the truth is that a suicide is not caused by a single event, but usually a person has been dealing with multiple tough situations.
Provide a Suicide Prevention Resource
Educate the Audience about Warning Signs and Risk Factors
Avoid Discussing Details of the Method of Suicide
Explain the Complexity of Suicide, Avoid Oversimplification
Focus on Prevention
Avoid Sensational Language and Images
The Power of Words
When it comes to suicide prevention, the terms, phrases and words we use can have a significant impact on the way messages are received. Messages can encourage someone to seek help and reach out, or they can push people farther from the support they need.
