The recent death of an Arizona Republic intern (and Arizona State Univ. journalism student) is being called an apparent suicide. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15-to-24-year-olds after accidents and homicide. Media coverage of suicide is a controversial topic, given the documented effect of how certain types of “sensationalized” news media reports contribute to suicide contagion or “copycat” deaths. A 2010 report of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) calls for the responsible coverage of suicide to educate audiences about likely causes, warning signs, trends in suicide rates, recent treatment advancements, and other types of prevention.
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