TY - JOUR
T1 - How to Cover Murder-Suicides
T2 - A Study of Irish Journalism Ethics
AU - Galvin, Audrey
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Based on 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study explores the attitudes of news media professionals toward Codes of Practice and guidelines and how they may conflict in the coverage of murder-suicide incidents. There is a dearth of research in this area, even though four organizations in Ireland have issued guidelines on how journalists should report on cases of this nature. This study found that news media professionals have a largely positive attitude toward guidelines and codes; however, news media conventions and routines can conflict with recommendations. Furthermore, the interview subjects’ sense of duty to the public, to provide a full and frank disclosure of information often outweighed their responsibility to any guide or code in the context of covering cases of murder-suicide. This raises critical issues for the coverage of cases of this nature, particularly when news values clash with Codes of Practice and guidelines.
AB - Based on 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study explores the attitudes of news media professionals toward Codes of Practice and guidelines and how they may conflict in the coverage of murder-suicide incidents. There is a dearth of research in this area, even though four organizations in Ireland have issued guidelines on how journalists should report on cases of this nature. This study found that news media professionals have a largely positive attitude toward guidelines and codes; however, news media conventions and routines can conflict with recommendations. Furthermore, the interview subjects’ sense of duty to the public, to provide a full and frank disclosure of information often outweighed their responsibility to any guide or code in the context of covering cases of murder-suicide. This raises critical issues for the coverage of cases of this nature, particularly when news values clash with Codes of Practice and guidelines.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180175766&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/23736992.2023.2294941
DO - 10.1080/23736992.2023.2294941
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85180175766
SN - 2373-6992
VL - 39
SP - 49
EP - 60
JO - Journal of Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality
JF - Journal of Media Ethics: Exploring Questions of Media Morality
IS - 1
ER -