JMU softball player death and possible suicide - too far?

[Patchen]

So, this seems pretty cut and dry. The player is a public figure and had she died of other causes, it would likely be reported. So even though it's a suicide, there's an obligation to report it.

Has social media added to this? In the case of a college athlete, social media will have condolences and tributes from friends and teammates. Is it the media's job to provide accurate details and memorialize the life of someone whose death has become public because of social media?

 

[SixToe]

Has social media added to this? In the case of a college athlete, social media will have condolences and tributes from friends and teammates. Is it the media's job to provide accurate details and memorialize the life of someone whose death has become public because of social media?

It's the news media's job to provide accurate details of stories, and not obscure them with "pashed away" instead of died or not including the cause of death in certain situations.

There is a huge push right now about mental health in legitimate (journo), entertainment and social media. It's discussed more openly and people are encouraged to seek help, find the ample resources, talk with almost anyone possible about their situation. That's a good thing. Encouraging others to seek help for anything, be it mental or physical situations, is good.

And yet anytime someone dies from suicide it all too often gets *whispered* like *cancer* or *multiple sclerosis* or *mentally retarded* for someone with Downs back in the 1970s and 80s. Many who include it in a story get their ash pilloried by the HOW DARE YOU!!!! crowd who doesn't understand the role of news media OR who is in news media and doesn't want to hurt anyone's feewings despite the facts.

The job of the news media is to provide accurate details in their stories.

 

[HanSenSE]

It's the news media's job to provide accurate details of stories, and not obscure them with "pashed away" instead of died or not including the cause of death in certain situations.

There is a huge push right now about mental health in legitimate (journo), entertainment and social media. It's discussed more openly and people are encouraged to seek help, find the ample resources, talk with almost anyone possible about their situation. That's a good thing. Encouraging others to seek help for anything, be it mental or physical situations, is good.an

And yet anytime someone dies from suicide it all too often gets *whispered* like *cancer* or *multiple sclerosis* or *mentally retarded* for someone with Downs back in the 1970s and 80s. Many who include it in a story get their ash pilloried by the HOW DARE YOU!!!! crowd who doesn't understand the role of news media OR who is in news media and doesn't want to hurt anyone's feewings despite the facts.

The job of the news media is to provide accurate details in their stories.

Flashing back on a few years ago when an athlete at Podunk High was involved in an auto accident. Reporter wrote, as he did with every accident story, "No drugs or alcohol were found in (athlete's) system." Why, you would have think we called him a crackhead and a fall-down drunk!