Detecting Changes in Newspaper Reporting of Suicide after a Statewide Social Marketing Campaign

ABSTRACT

A social marketing campaign was introduced in California in 2012, promoting media adherence to consensus-based guidelines on reporting about suicide. We examine adherence to these guidelines by applying quantitative scores to articles in California and a national control group in two six-month intervals prior to and following campaign implementation. Utilizing a difference-in-difference approach, we found no significant effect of the campaign, though the type of article content was a significant indicator of the overall score. Findings also demonstrated a nation-wide downward trend in the quality of reporting. Qualitative results suggest a need for more flexible guidelines in light of a technologically driven news culture.

Notes

¹ A detailed description of the key differences between the original RISc score, as published by Nutt et al. (2015), and the modified version used here, is available upon request.