Journalism Studies Commons^™

(Un)Covering Suicide: The Changing Ethical Norms In Canadian Journalism, Gemma Richardson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this integrated article dissertation, I examine media coverage of suicide in two Canadian newspapers. I seek to answer two research questions: how has media coverage of suicide changed in Canadian newspapers between the mid-19^th century and 2013, and what were the standard policies and procedures in newsrooms regarding coverage of suicide during this time? Through a qualitative analysis of historical coverage and a quantitative analysis of contemporary coverage, I show how media coverage of suicide has changed. My historical analysis incorporates extensive primary research from the archives of the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, and …