Ethical reporting in suicide cases

The Star

2 days ago

Useful handbook: Fahmi (third from left) holding a copy of the Suicide Content Guidelines at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya. With him are (from left) MCMC deputy managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, Mediha, Rafiq, Dr Ismuni and Wong. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
Mainstream and social media urged to observe the dos and don'ts
PETALING JAYA: Ethical content reporting on suicide cases should be a collective effort by media organisations, says Communi­cations Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said that with the launching of the Suicide Content Guidelines, he was hopeful that they could be implemented and practised by all parties.
'For us to make a structural change, especially in the culture of reporting, the entire organisation needs to understand the importance of respecting the principles that have been established in these guidelines,' he told reporters after launching the document at Menara Star here yesterday.
Following the launch, he called for the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF), which had spearheaded the drafting of the guidelines, to engage with as many media organisations as possible to ensure the essence of the document could be adopted.
The guidelines, he said, are not only applicable to mainstream media but also social media platforms.
'We cannot have these social media platforms washing their hands of content that could create online harm, particularly related to suicide,' he said.
Fahmi said he had requested the Content Forum to ensure the participation of social media platforms in its initiatives.
He pointed out that only TikTok is a member of CMCF, urging other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X to follow suit.
'TikTok took an early step even before we introduced the social media licensing regime and I wholeheartedly applaud its approach to voluntarily be a member of CMCF,' he said.
CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood said the drafting of the guidelines was inspired by the Health Ministry's very own version.
She noted that the ministry's guidelines were released in 2011.
But with various changes since then, she said there was a need to have an updated version of the guidelines.
She explained that many things had changed since 2011. 'Even the media landscape has changed, so we decided that we needed to have an updated version.
'We worked together with the Health Ministry and other stakeholders to have guidelines that's not just for media reporting but also for every form of content sharing,' she said.
Mediha said the guidelines were also meant for content creators, social media influencers and filmmakers.
The establishment of the Malaysian Media Council would further complement the implementation of the guidelines, she said.
The council will comprise members who are knowledgeable on content-related matters.
'We can have these guidelines as a standard for all media organisations and if they have improvements that they think we should make to these guidelines, we can update it at any time,' she added.
CMCF chairman Rafiq Rizal said the guidelines aim to create a framework that protects the vulnerable, empowers the informed and supports a healthier and more compassionate national discourse.
'In an era when headlines compete for attention and social media posts go viral in seconds, it is essential that our content practices are guided by intention and empathy,' he said.
For instance, Rafiq said discussion on suicide matters should be done with care and intention.
Among the objectives of the guidelines include preventing imitative suicides, promoting help-seeking behaviour, enhancing public awareness and education, as well as supporting media professionals and social media users.
Also present at the launch were Star Media Group chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, Star Media Group group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt and Health Ministry deputy director-general (public health) Dr Ismuni Bohari.