'Suicide' picture in Sunday World

stuartfanning

The Northern Ireland edition of the Sunday World published a picture of a supposed Suicide hanging from a bridge. Big controversy over this but it seems the Police left the body hanging for several hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/8336911.stm

Seeems to me both the papers editor and the Police are both at fault.

jdivision

I'd agree, papers shouldn't publish suicide pics. has been linked to copycats.

Sleipnir

How is it, as the editor said, "in the public interest" to publish the photograph?
How does it serve the public to see this more soul hanging from a bridge?

Riordan123

What I dont understand is how it is suicide when the man's hands were tied, behind his back, which was said in the Sunday World

ynotdu

stuartfanning wrote: »

The Northern Ireland edition of the Sunday World published a picture of a supposed Suicide hanging from a bridge. Big controversy over this but it seems the Police left the body hanging for several hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/8336911.stm

Seeems to me both the papers editor and the Police are both at fault.

I could not agree with You more stuartfanning,in fact i got really pissed at a thread in AH,s about a thread that was allowed to even made 'jokes' about suicide.Almightycushion{a Cmod handled it excently IMO}

it IS true that suicides cause 'copycats'{as do school shootings}
The good news is according to figures during last week the suicide rate is dropping rapidly since its peak at the peak of the 'Celtic Tiger'

Freedom of the press is a nescessary and sacred thing,It is a pity that Newspaper Editors and Journalists often treat it as a 'carte blanche'to be irresponsible.:mad:

KC JONES

ynotdu wrote: »

The good news is according to figures during last week the suicide rate is dropping rapidly since its peak at the peak of the 'Celtic Tiger'

It always drops in times of crisis, war etc

mrtaylor1981

jdivision wrote: »

I'd agree, papers shouldn't publish suicide pics. has been linked to copycats.

It's as cheap as journalism can get. I suppose little else can be expected from a tabloid.

Morlar

I did not see the picture or article, and, as it was the sunday world it was for circulation and shock value=profit.

People are too de-sensitised at this stage to male suicide so I think it is a good idea to show people the grim reality of this. I would feel the same way about honour killings and stonings from the sharia parts of the world, also terrorism & criminal murder etc.

IRE60

I was at Robert Fisk last Thursday. He is a big believer that, in times of war, people “back home” should be shown pictures of the war that their country is fighting in. Not sanitised “photoshopped” pics – but as it happened. I would actually agree with that.
However he rounded on the Sunday World and said that there was no reason for publishing the picture – it was simply sensationalism.

stuartfanning

For those who want to see the actual Sunday World picture to judge whether it should have been published, the first post on the forum link below has a link to it.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1159305

ynotdu

Robert Fisk......I would love to have been at that lecture,He is a very decent but frank Journalist IMO.

Just wanted to remind people that the Evening Herald showed a suicide victom floating in the Liffey a few years ago and most people found it distasteful to say the least{He at least was face down}

Some newspaper editors seem to think this thing is 'fine'
Would they publish it if it was their Mother Father Brother sister or their own Child though?

OldJay

IRE60 wrote: »

I was at Robert Fisk last Thursday. He is a big believer that, in times of war, people “back home” should be shown pictures of the war that their country is fighting in. Not sanitised “photoshopped” pics – but as it happened. I would actually agree with that.
However he rounded on the Sunday World and said that there was no reason for publishing the picture – it was simply sensationalism.

It was a case of doing anything to sell copy in a competitive market.
I think the sad excuse for a newspaper should be reprimanded for what they did. There are standards. Its a shame that the tabloid press especially ignore this until they are called up for their actions.
I lost someone very dear three weeks ago when she took her own life. Had a newspaper printed pictures of her, I would have taken them to the f***ing cleaners.

lostexpectation

the editor apologised and said he review their policy... until next time! *smirk*

beks101

"I took the decision to run this picture because this poor man had been left hanging in public view for such a long time."


What a charitable, compassionate man Mr McDowell is, to afford this dead man his front page to highlight the injustice of him being left hanging in public view for so long.

I wonder would he be as charitable and devoted to the cause of 'lifting stones' on this 'GROTESQUE' case if said man were his own son? :rolleyes:

Brian Capture

ynotdu wrote: »

Would they publish it if it was their Mother Father Brother sister or their own Child though?

yes they would

Brian Capture

beks101 wrote: »

I wonder would he be as charitable and devoted to the cause of 'lifting stones' on this 'GROTESQUE' case if said man were his own son? :rolleyes:

yes he would

GerardKeating

Riordan123 wrote: »

What I dont understand is how it is suicide when the man's hands were tied, behind his back, which was said in the Sunday World

It not difficult to tie on ones hands behind ones back, and sometimes suicides do things to made sure they don't back out at the last moments...

beks101

Brian Capture wrote: »

yes he would

And you know that for a fact, do you?

gemma21

It's nothing short of sick to print that picture. Have they any respect whatsoever for human life? And what about the person's family?!

gemma21

It's nothing short of sick to print that picture. Have they any respect for a human life?! And what about the person's family?! Apalling.

Thats shocking but not suprising from that RAG of a paper.

Saruman

I feel someone should come in here with a different view on the matter. I am not condoning what was done.... but would a person contemplating suicide not see that image and decide to change their minds given how gruesome and lonely a way to die it is?

Maybe not but it is just a thought on the other side of the spectrum from what everyone else has posted so far.

beks101

Saruman wrote: »

I am not condoning what was done.... but would a person contemplating suicide not see that image and decide to change their minds given how gruesome and lonely a way to die it is?

Absolutely possible. What's also possible is that an explanation will be given to the relatives of the man as to why his body was left in public view for three hours, as a result of this picture being published.

But that takes away from the bottom line, which is that it runs the risk of 'copy cat' suicides, thus endangering other lives. Not to mention the moral question that have already been discussed here.

Brian Capture

beks101 wrote: »

And you know that for a fact, do you?

I have it on good authority yes.

Saruman

Copy cat suicides? There are only so many ways you can kill yourself and hanging yourself from a bridge is hardly so original that it will be "copied" It is simply one of the obvious ways to do it. It would be different if there was a very novel and inventive and not to mention quick and painless way that was shown as that might be attractive to someone who is considering it.

beks101

Saruman wrote: »

Copy cat suicides? There are only so many ways you can kill yourself and hanging yourself from a bridge is hardly so original that it will be "copied" It is simply one of the obvious ways to do it.

So if the method of suicide had been a bit more, say, creative and less conventional, only then would there run the risk of copy cat suicides?

Publishing the means of suicide, sensationalising cases, simplifying the reasons for them, printing graphic images, suggesting that there is an epidemic...all of these have been proven to lead to an increase in the suicide rate in different countries. That's why the guidelines exist:

http://www.mediawise.org.uk/display_page.php?id=806

It's such a sensitive area that even phrases like 'committed suicide' in reports are discouraged by the National Office of Suicide Prevention and places like Headline.

sunflower27

That is truly sickening. I am so shocked that someone thought printing that would be in anyone's interest. That poor man's family and friends.

jellyboy

has any body thought of the thousands of cars that passed the body on the way shopping,living etc etc?

At least with the paper there is a chioce elment ....

And are we to not face the fact that suicde is all around us?
and as a siocety we have to face up the fact that it happens everyday?

i wont hide away to cry if a friend dies,id rather discuss it in a mature way