Media Representation of Youth Suicide - Literature review Example

Critical discourse Analysis on Media representation of Youth Suicide By (Name) HSH 313 Contemporary Health Issues Tutor: University Date Media representation of Youth suicide Literature Review This section seeks to shed light on how the media’s reporting can help reduce the rate of imitation suicides. This is in regard to the topic in question where it argued that there is evidence that reports on the media that “frame suicide as a tragic waste and an avoidable loss, and focuses on the devastating impact of the act on others has been linked to a reduction in the rates of suicides.” Therefore this sections quest is to identify whether the media can or does play an important role in the prevention of suicide. Media representation refers to how a particular subject or topic is highlighted or discussed in the different media channels with the mass public being the target audience (Levinsen & Wien 2011). Media representation of any particular subject is significant because many people rely on the media for information and the way in which this information is put across will definitely have its effect. Suicide is the act of taking one’s own life, regardless of the method one may choose. The study of the media’s representation of suicide dates back to the works of one David Philips in the 70s (Stack, 2003). This has given rise to the terms suicide contagion, copycat suicide among others, referring to the act of imitating another person who has committed suicide, and either succeeding or failing at the attempt to take one’s life. Today, suicide is very common today and it is one of the leading causes of death in the world today (Radhakrishnan & Andrade 2012). It is important to note that the youth stand at the top of the groups that have the highest risk of committing suicide, and this covers the developing as well as developed countries. A lot of research that has been carried out in regard to this matter has demonstrated that the way in which the media reports suicide has the effect of producing imitation suicides. This happens in different parts of the world, including countries such as the USA, European and Eastern countries such as Japan (Gould, Jamieson & Romer 2003). Pirkis & Blood (2010) in their review paper highlighted that information presented by different media has an influence on the rate at which suicides may occur either negatively or positively. This means that the media can be a channel through which information on positive living can be passed on to the public. Adoption of appropriate ways of reporting has been highlighted as one of the ways the media can play an active role in reducing suicide contagion (Goldney 1989). Conversely, the media’s accounts of suicides coupled with suicidal behaviour by close friend may result in a decrease of attempted suicides among youths (Mercy et al. 2001). In a bid to reduce on the rates of contagions suicide, Different governments have developed guidelines that direct the media on how to report suicides. Little evidence exists to prove that these guidelines have made any possible positive effects in reducing suicide cases. However, implementation of media guidelines in Austria in 1987 saw a decrease in contagion suicide by 7% in the first year, and by 2% in the following four year period (Gould 2001). On a different note very little evidence exists highlighting how effective the media’s reporting of suicide - as a tragic waste and an avoidable loss – is to reducing the rates of contagion suicide. Media reports should be responsibly done and should not glorify or report suicide as if it was the only way to solve difficult problems or circumstances (Radhakrishnan & Andrade 2012). One study highlights how media information on people who had taken up a positive coping mechanisms other than suicidal tendencies, shows that these reports are associated with a reduction in suicidal behaviour (Niederkrotenthaler et al. 2010). In addition this study gives evidence that information in the media that gives priority to presenting educative information coupled with highlighting the potential harm that suicide could have on individuals and their families actually has appositive effect on reducing subsequent suicides. For instance media representations that highlight cases of suicidal ideations are effective in reducing suicide cases among the youth (Niederkrotenthaler et al. 2010). Discourse analysis The two media examples of the Medias representation of youth suicide are; the online newspaper article “It’s time to talk’ by Kate Legge and the Deakin University’s blog entry titled ‘Suicide and social media: the epidemic swarming South East Melbourne’. The articles title screams of urgency calling on the need to break the silence on suicide. Legge (2011) focuses on the Medias representation of suicide in Australia. It is clear that suicides that are committed using rare and crude methods are very much publicised. The article clearly brings out the negative effects that this particular boys’ suicide brings to his family and friends. His death results to immense grief in his family and since they had not expected anything like that, this event leads his father to also commit suicide. In Foucault’s perspective, there is an underlying message which highlights that even if suicide may be viewed as an individual case, there is a clear indication that this is a community problem, and the unexpected death of one person has a ripple effect in a community. This article employs a powerful use of language that evokes both positive and negative emotions, causing the reader to sympathise with the bereaved family. However, the article offers very insightful information to people who may be harbouring suicidal ideas, to the extent that they realize there is a different way out. In Dally’s perspective, the article succeeds in highlighting the discrepancy that exists in regard to reporting of suicide cases in Australia. The conflict that is brought about by the media guidelines provided by the authorities, have resulted into poor reporting of suicide. On the other hand, the government’s failures on suicide prevention are clearly highlighted when a local federal member questions the hesitation to spend some money to fix a road that has been a leading cause of deaths in their area. The blog entry by joybelle13 (2013), highlights information on the increased cases of suicide in South East Melbourne. This blog entry clearly highlights the steps taken by some of the youths on realizing that their fellow youths are at risk of suicide. Conversely, this article highlights the different suicide prevention strategies are at play with the goal of reducing the numbers of suicides that are actualized. Information that is useful is provided here and it is useful in demystifying the myths constantly held in regards to the causational factors that result into suicide. The importance of mental health and its association with suicide is discussed. In Foucault’s perspective, the presentation of suicide in this case brings out an inherent respect for human life, and the devastation that family and friends go through once they are bereaved. Conversely, the language used in this entry is very simple yet holds a lot of power and insight for its target audience. In a very subtle way, the information presented here applies the cultivation theory because the message is passively but clearly put forward. This I believe is very effective in the long run since the fact that the writer has highlighted a case where two youths have taken action by creating a forum on a social media site. This information is sure to provide a platform that offers social support even in the physical absence of the providers. In view of Dally’s deconstruction theory, the story subtly highlights poor parental involvement in their children’s life, such that an act like suicide throws them out of balance. On the other hand there is a surreal representation of the lack of efficient social support systems where young people could access help. However, it is important to also consider that this text represents the interests of youths and leaves out any possible support system that may be availed to the immediate family of the suicide victims. Media deconstruction on representation of youth suicide This discourse analysis clearly highlights a conflict in the way information about suicide is reported. Here stereotypes are created in the first text, where the author feels that certain ways of committing suicide are glorified and thus given more media attention than others. On the other hand, the society often sees suicide as the burden of an individual family thus leading to social isolation. However, there is a representation of parents being too obsessed in their own activities such that they fail to create a relationship with their children. In both texts the plot is carefully crafted and the headlines are appealing to the reader, such that they draw attention and this is a technique that Lupton highlights is applied by the media. Technique How it is represented How it is perceived Facts and useful information is presented In both texts, statistics on the numbers of suicides are presented. In the blog entry, a link is provided to an online forum where one can access social support. Not every youth is suicidal, and youths can be resourceful Evoking emotions The stories highlighted on suicide in both scripts are emotional and will evoke sympathy as well as empathy. Suicide is devastating to the bereaved family members and it is not a cool way of solving a difficult situation. Title of text In the online newspaper article, the title is not very appealing, but the language used indicates that the matter is one of urgency. There is need to take serious action on preventing suicide Personalization The stories highlighted in both samples are stories that are very easy to identify with. The struggles of day to day living that youth especially teenagers go through are so much yet the social support system is wanting. Reinforcement of the quote The discourse dos not fully resonate with the quote, though it highlights part of it. These texts report suicide as a tragic and avoidable loss, yet we cannot say that it has an effect of reducing suicide rates. However the blog entry has reflected some responsible response to suicide reporting, where a forum is created in a bid to offer support and reduce the rate of contagion suicides among the youth. Action required in addressing the problem of youth suicide Youth suicide being rampant in our country today, there is need to develop an action plan that will address this issue with the aim of reducing the rates of suicide to a possible zero. Suicide is a threat to the public health in our society. The Ottawa Charter on health promotion clearly outlines that the promotion of health is a process which empowers people to grow their ability to take control and improve personal health. This focuses on physical, social and mental wellbeing (WHO, 1986). Our desire is to have a media reporting system that promotes healthy and positive living such that the rates of suicides are reduced to zero. According to the Ottawa Charter for health promotion, there are five action areas that we can employ to eradicate this struggle. Building a healthy public policy- this is an action that calls for the need to move away from just suicide prevention measures that are discussed during meetings and conferences. This calls for the civic education on the policies that have been developed regarding suicide reporting, and also seek the input of the citizens. Here, the policies should be directed towards punishing media entries that do not follow the stipulated action steps on reporting. On the other hand the government at all level has the responsibility of identifying the barriers that are in existence, which are preventing the implementation of these policies in all sectors. Creating supportive environments- the government and society at large is responsible for creating environments that are youth friendly, yet educative and supportive. It is imperative that the existing environments are weak in support thus the increase in suicide rates among the youths. However, by supporting environments such as online forums which provide psychological, spiritual and emotional well being, the government will be playing a huge role in reducing suicide rates. Strengthening community action- in this action step, suicide representation should focus on strengthening communities especially focusing on the family unit. Strengthening this unit may be done through developing the capacity of parents, parenting skills and methods. As a result, parents are more involved in their children’s lives such that they can be the first source of social support. Community programs that enhance cohesion amongst their members should be promoted to ensure the social system is enhanced. Developing personal skills-this is a very crucial step that can be done in order to develop life skills at a personal level. As a result youths are able to apply creative problem solving skills to their problems. This is best done by providing practical scenarios where these skills are required but it should not be a competitive system. Reorient Health services- here media companies can link up with mental health providers as well as policy makers in this sector so that they can come up with measures that are realistic and workable. Reference List Goldney, R. D. (1989) Suicide: the role of the media. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 23: 30-34 Gould, M. Jamieson, P. and Romer, D. (2003) Media Contagion and Suicide among the Young. American Behavioral scientist, 46(9): 1269-1284 Gould, M. S. (2001). Suicide and the media. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 932(1), 200-224. Joybelle13 (2010) ‘Suicide and social media: The epidemic swarming South East Melbourne’ GO2NEWS, 5 October 2012. Available at: http://deakinnews.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/suicide-and-social-media-the-epidemic-swarming-south-east-melbourne/ (Accessed 8 October 2012) Legge, K. (2011) It’s time to talk, The Australian February, 26 2011. Available from: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/its-time-to-talk/story-e6frg8h6-1226010786783 (Accessed 7 October 2014) Levinsen, K, & Wien, C 2011, 'Changing media representations of youth in the news – a content analysis of Danish newspapers 1953–2003', Journal of Youth Studies, 14 (7): 837-851 Mercy, J. A. Kresnow, M. J. O’Carroll, P. W. Lee, R. K. Powell, K. E. Potter, L. B. et al. (2001) Is suicide contagious? A study of the relation between exposure to the suicidal behavior of others and nearly lethal suicide attempts. American Journal of Epidemiology, 154: 120-127 Niederkrotenthaler, T. Voracek, M. Herberth, A. Till, B. Strauss, M. & Etzersdorfer, E. et al. (2010) Media and suicide: Werther v. Papageno effects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 197: 234-243 Pirkis, J. and Blood, W. (2010) Suicide and the news and information media: A Critical Review. Commonwealth of Australia Radhakrishnan, R. & Andrade, C. (2012) Suicide: An Indian perspective. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 54(4): 304-319 Stack, S. (2003) Media coverage as a risk factor in suicide. Journal of Epidemiol Community Health, 57:238-240 World Health Organization 2013, ‘The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.’ Available from: http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index1.html (Accessed 7 October 2014) Read More