By Simon Bucks, Associate Editor

Madeleine Moon, the Labour MP for Bridgend, says sensational reporting by the media is encouraging young people in her constituency to kill themselves.
13 young people in the area have died, apparently by their own hands. An investigation is underway to establish whether they are "copycat" suicides, and if so what the cause is.

Ms. Moon has also suggested that social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace may be to blame for "romanticising" suicide.

This is a very difficult area for the media. Publicising bad things (whether it be suicide,drug taking, paedophilia or any number of other horrors) could encourage a few people to try it themselves.
Not reporting them would surely be worse. The media's job is to shine a light into areas which some people would prefer kept in the dark, and to encourage the authorities to take suitable action.

Of course, the media must do everything it can to mitigate the ill-effects of its reporting. In the case of suicide, newspapers work with the Samaritans to make sure people tempted to take their own lives know how to get help. Bob Satchwell, director of the Society of Editors, underlined this in an interview today.

Ms. Moon is clearly not a civil libertarian, at least according to her House of Commons voting record. She supported a smoking ban, ID cards, replacing Trident and Labour's anti-terrorism laws. She was against investigating the Iraq war.

So, without putting words into her mouth, she probably believes that suppressing reporting would be justified if it saved lives.
The media in all its forms must avoid giving ammunition to her and to others who advocate censorship for whatever reasons. 

Comments

[martin,devon 25 Feb 2008 19:24:25]

Still no response on the questions then?

[clare 24 Feb 2008 18:50:11]

Looking forward to hearing what Paul has to say about a new look.Is he back tomorrow?

[Simon Bucks, Sky News 18 Feb 2008 22:52:59]

Martin, thanks for your query about a new look. Hope you don't mind but I leave questions like this to my colleague Paul Bromley who writes the viewpoint blog. He's away this week but back next week and will give you a full reply, I'm sure.

[frank,dublin. 18 Feb 2008 21:10:37]

Would it really be so hard to answer some of the questions on the graphics,look etc?

[nick zaki 17 Feb 2008 17:50:33]

When does the new look go live?

[gary walkerers 15 Feb 2008 15:09:33]

Simon,
Admitedly this post is not about graphics,so perhaps could you start a new post with answers to the questions posed?I would love to hear more detail about changes to the site,graphics etc.
Regards.

[george,southampton 13 Feb 2008 17:58:58]

Another new look???

I suppose the current one is a bit rubbish,can you tell us any more?

[denis,ipswich 13 Feb 2008 12:13:27]

In response to Martin's question,what will the new look be like?It feels as though SN gets a new look every few months,although the current look is awful,especilly on TV.

[Bubba Smith London UK 12 Feb 2008 16:44:19]

the real solution surely lies within good parenting!

[Ian Tel Aviv 12 Feb 2008 08:11:42]

Since I left England, I watch Sky news to keep up with what is going on. The one thing that constantly comes up is back benchers talking about what they believe is the right thing for the public to do or to know. The "Nanny Party" should be the new logo for labour. Constantly complaining but doing exactly the opposite of what the public needs.
As for Sky, I have on a few occasions been disappointed by the one sided reports that you have shown, because the other side of the issue was not publicised.
So I think that Sky can improve its reports, but not to report at all, that is wrong.
I would rather complain to sky that a report was not impartial than not have a rpeort at all.

[martin,devon 11 Feb 2008 13:21:50]

Hi Simon,
Slightly off topic but i dunno where else to post,is there going to be a new look to Sky News this year?

[Mike, Kananga, DRC 8 Feb 2008 12:08:56]

The media is guilty of many sins, But encouraging people to commit suicide is surely not one of them. Stalking footballers wives, and claiming moral outrage when a politician is caught s****ing his secretary does not deserve the title 'Journalism'. Recording the tragedies of our grand social experiment certainly does, and I am disppointed that an elected public representative should think otherwise.

[Khalid 7 Feb 2008 14:06:54]

As with every profession, the industry surrounding many an element of press media, tough as well as delicate matters are provided with a view to, as you rightly say, educate as well as inform.
As many a young may be referred to as the [Rah Band]whilst viewing the [Clouds Across The Moon] in the pretence of purpose, many a disturbed soul does benefit from the valuable information such broadcasts bring about. Naturally as with everything, the underlying basis is to win, keep and retain the youth of today to provide for the youth of tomorrow and enjoy the prosperous fruits from mother nature, as she intended.