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

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 c

SUBMITTER: Sinyor M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12628123 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature