Responsible Media Reporting on Suicide Prevention in Bangladesh: Implementing WHO's LIVE LIFE Guidelines Among Media Professionals

The primary objective of this research is to assess the effectiveness of structured training interventions in strengthening the capacity of media professionals in Bangladesh to integrate WHO's LIVE LIFE guidelines for responsible suicide reporting into their existing practice. Specific objectives include: - To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of media professionals regarding suicide reporting before and after training interventions. - To assess the extent to which WHO's responsible reporting guidelines are understood and adopted by trained media professionals. - To identify barriers and facilitators to the integration of responsible suicide reporting practices in the Bangladeshi media landscape. - To reduce the risk of suicide contagion by minimizing sensationalized and harmful media reporting on suicide. - To encourage help-seeking behaviour among at-risk individuals through empathetic and accurate media narratives. - To establish a replicable training model that can be scaled to media professionals across all districts of Bangladesh.

This research follows a training-based intervention design, implemented on an ongoing basis across multiple districts of Bangladesh. The study targets local and regional media professionals including print, broadcast, and online journalists and reporters. Training sessions are conducted using WHO's LIVE LIFE guidelines as the core curriculum framework. Each training session is structured as a day-long program covering the principles of responsible suicide reporting, the evidence behind suicide contagion, the role of media in suicide prevention, and practical guidance on accurate, appropriate, and empathetic reporting. Interactive methodologies are employed throughout, including group discussions, case-based scenarios, and reflective exercises that draw on real examples from the Bangladeshi media context. Training venues are selected to maximize geographic outreach, with sessions held at accessible locations such as district-level government offices and public health institutions. Knowledge and attitude assessments are administered to participants before and after each training session to measure changes in understanding and reported intentions around responsible reporting. Qualitative feedback is also collected to capture participant experiences and perceived applicability of the guidelines in their professional context. The research is being implemented in a phased manner, with training rollouts planned across multiple districts over the course of the study period. Findings from each phase inform subsequent training design and delivery.

As this is an ongoing research initiative, comprehensive results are yet to be finalized. However, preliminary observations from training sessions conducted to date suggest a positive trend in participants' knowledge and awareness of responsible suicide reporting practices. Media professionals who have participated in the training have demonstrated improved understanding of the potential harms of sensationalized suicide reporting and greater familiarity with WHO's LIVE LIFE guidelines. Participants have also reported increased confidence in applying responsible reporting principles in their professional work. Qualitative feedback collected following training sessions indicates high levels of engagement and perceived relevance of the training content among participants. Many reporters have expressed a prior lack of formal guidance on suicide reporting and welcomed the structured framework provided through the WHO guidelines. Data collection and analysis are ongoing, and comprehensive quantitative and qualitative results will be reported upon completion of all planned training phases.

This ongoing initiative addresses a critical and underexplored gap at the intersection of public health and media practice in Bangladesh. While global evidence strongly supports the role of responsible media reporting in suicide prevention, systematic training of media professionals remains rare in low- and middle-income country contexts such as Bangladesh. Preliminary findings suggest that structured, guideline-based training interventions can meaningfully improve the knowledge and attitudes of media professionals toward responsible suicide reporting. The use of WHO's internationally validated LIVE LIFE framework lends credibility and consistency to the training content while allowing for contextual adaptation to the Bangladeshi media environment. The engagement of local and regional reporters — who often cover suicide cases with limited prior guidance — is a particularly significant aspect of this research. Equipping frontline journalists with the tools to report responsibly has the potential to create a ripple effect across communities, reducing stigma, discouraging imitative behaviours, and normalizing help-seeking. Challenges such as time constraints among media professionals, varying levels of prior mental health literacy, and the competitive nature of news reporting will be explored further as the research progresses. Sustainable integration of these guidelines into journalism training curricula and editorial policies will be critical for long-term impact. Upon completion, this research aims to contribute evidence-based recommendations for scaling responsible suicide reporting training across Bangladesh's media sector, with potential relevance for similar contexts across South Asia.