Spotlight on media coverage of suicides

THE father of a man who died in an area blighted by suicides told a public debate yesterday of the “stress and heartache” he suffered by repeatedly seeing his son’s photograph in the press.

The man, who said his daughter was receiving counselling and his wife was on medication following the death, was one of about 100 people who attended a public debate about the media coverage of the suicides in Bridgend, South Wales.

Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, Christopher Meyer hosted the debate which follows the suspected suicide of 20 young people in the area since the beginning of last year.

The media has been accused of intruding on people’s grief.

Mr Meyer said the PCC had only received one complaint about coverage and that was about a suicide outside of the 20.

He said the PCC would be looking into the right of the press to use photographs that people have put on the internet without permission.