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'Fair and balanced?': quality of suicide-related reporting on major US cable news networks.

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Title: 'Fair and balanced?': quality of suicide-related reporting on major US cable news networks.
Authors: Sinyor, Mark (AUTHOR), Men, Vera Yu (AUTHOR), Chan, Prudence Po Ming (AUTHOR), Rain, Sarina (AUTHOR), Posel, Amy (AUTHOR), Jayakumar, Navitha (AUTHOR), Mitchell, Rachel H. B. (AUTHOR), Schaffer, Ayal (AUTHOR), Steinberg, Rosalie (AUTHOR), Pirkis, Jane (AUTHOR), Heisel, Marnin J. (AUTHOR), Goldstein, Benjamin I. (AUTHOR), Redelmeier, Donald A. (AUTHOR), Stack, Steven (AUTHOR), Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas (AUTHOR)
Source: British Journal of Psychiatry. Dec2025, Vol. 227 Issue 6, p846-853. 8p.
Subjects: Suicide, Journalistic reporting, Journalistic ethics, Fox News, Television broadcasting of news, Mass media ethics, MSNBC, News agencies, Cable News Network, Broadcast journalism
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Background: The quality of news reports about suicide can influence suicide rates. Although many researchers have aimed to assess the general safety of news reporting in terms of adherence to responsible media guidelines, none have focused on major US cable networks, a key source of public information in North America and beyond. Aims: To characterise and compare suicide-related reporting by major US cable television news networks across the ideological spectrum. Method: We searched a news archive (Factiva) for suicide-related transcripts from 'the big three' US cable television news networks (CNN, Fox News and MSNBC) over an 11-year inclusion interval (2012–2022). We included and coded segments with a major focus on suicide (death, attempt and/or thoughts) for general content, putatively harmful and protective characteristics and overarching narratives. We used chi-square tests to compare these variables across networks. Results: We identified 612 unique suicide-related segments (CNN, 398; Fox News, 119; MSNBC, 95). Across all networks, these segments tended to focus on suicide death (72–89%) and presented stories about specific individuals (61–87%). Multiple putatively harmful characteristics were evident in segments across networks, including mention of a suicide method (42–52%) – with hanging (15–30%) and firearm use (12–20%) the most commonly mentioned – and stigmatising language (39–43%). Only 15 segments (2%) presented a story of survival. Conclusions: Coverage of suicide stories by major US cable news networks was often inconsistent with responsible reporting guidelines. Further engagement with networks and journalists is thus warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of British Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: 'Fair and balanced?': quality of suicide-related reporting on major US cable news networks.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sinyor%2C+Mark%22">Sinyor, Mark</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Men%2C+Vera+Yu%22">Men, Vera Yu</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chan%2C+Prudence+Po+Ming%22">Chan, Prudence Po Ming</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rain%2C+Sarina%22">Rain, Sarina</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Posel%2C+Amy%22">Posel, Amy</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jayakumar%2C+Navitha%22">Jayakumar, Navitha</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mitchell%2C+Rachel+H%2E+B%2E%22">Mitchell, Rachel H. B.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Schaffer%2C+Ayal%22">Schaffer, Ayal</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Steinberg%2C+Rosalie%22">Steinberg, Rosalie</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pirkis%2C+Jane%22">Pirkis, Jane</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heisel%2C+Marnin+J%2E%22">Heisel, Marnin J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Goldstein%2C+Benjamin+I%2E%22">Goldstein, Benjamin I.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Redelmeier%2C+Donald+A%2E%22">Redelmeier, Donald A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stack%2C+Steven%22">Stack, Steven</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Niederkrotenthaler%2C+Thomas%22">Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22British+Journal+of+Psychiatry%22">British Journal of Psychiatry</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 227 Issue 6, p846-853. 8p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Suicide%22">Suicide</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Journalistic+reporting%22">Journalistic reporting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Journalistic+ethics%22">Journalistic ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fox+News%22">Fox News</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Television+broadcasting+of+news%22">Television broadcasting of news</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mass+media+ethics%22">Mass media ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MSNBC%22">MSNBC</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22News+agencies%22">News agencies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cable+News+Network%22">Cable News Network</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Broadcast+journalism%22">Broadcast journalism</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: The quality of news reports about suicide can influence suicide rates. Although many researchers have aimed to assess the general safety of news reporting in terms of adherence to responsible media guidelines, none have focused on major US cable networks, a key source of public information in North America and beyond. Aims: To characterise and compare suicide-related reporting by major US cable television news networks across the ideological spectrum. Method: We searched a news archive (Factiva) for suicide-related transcripts from 'the big three' US cable television news networks (CNN, Fox News and MSNBC) over an 11-year inclusion interval (2012–2022). We included and coded segments with a major focus on suicide (death, attempt and/or thoughts) for general content, putatively harmful and protective characteristics and overarching narratives. We used chi-square tests to compare these variables across networks. Results: We identified 612 unique suicide-related segments (CNN, 398; Fox News, 119; MSNBC, 95). Across all networks, these segments tended to focus on suicide death (72–89%) and presented stories about specific individuals (61–87%). Multiple putatively harmful characteristics were evident in segments across networks, including mention of a suicide method (42–52%) – with hanging (15–30%) and firearm use (12–20%) the most commonly mentioned – and stigmatising language (39–43%). Only 15 segments (2%) presented a story of survival. Conclusions: Coverage of suicide stories by major US cable news networks was often inconsistent with responsible reporting guidelines. Further engagement with networks and journalists is thus warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of British Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1192/bjp.2025.10309
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 846
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Suicide
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Journalistic reporting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Journalistic ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fox News
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      – SubjectFull: Television broadcasting of news
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      – SubjectFull: Mass media ethics
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      – SubjectFull: News agencies
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      – SubjectFull: Cable News Network
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      – SubjectFull: Broadcast journalism
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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      – TitleFull: 'Fair and balanced?': quality of suicide-related reporting on major US cable news networks.
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              Text: Dec2025
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