![Sample our Humanities journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5939/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Humanities.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Based on 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study explores the attitudes of news media professionals toward Codes of Practice and guidelines and how they may conflict in the coverage of murder-suicide incidents. There is a dearth of research in this area, even though four organizations in Ireland have issued guidelines on how journalists should report on cases of this nature. This study found that news media professionals have a largely positive attitude toward guidelines and codes; however, news media conventions and routines can conflict with recommendations. Furthermore, the interview subjects’ sense of duty to the public, to provide a full and frank disclosure of information often outweighed their responsibility to any guide or code in the context of covering cases of murder-suicide. This raises critical issues for the coverage of cases of this nature, particularly when news values clash with Codes of Practice and guidelines.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 The Health Service Executive (HSE) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. Headline monitors media articles and identifies articles that do not adhere to guidelines. Its aims are to increase media awareness of guidelines to journalists in this area and deliver to training to them across the country. The National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) is an independent, multi-disciplinary research unit that investigates the causes of suicide and self-harm in Ireland.