Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation released a statement Monday 20 September announcing the discussion of a new code of ethics for media coverage of suicide news. The new code, which stipulates ten articles, is expected to be issued within the next two weeks. According to the statement, suicide or attempted suicide news must not be covered as “normal”, or be used as a way to increase viewership; it should be covered in the context of respect and preservation of human life. The Council also called on Egyptian media entities to be particularly careful with such news, especially when creating headlines, and to maintain the privacy of the victim’s families as well as avoid publishing comments or statements without their permission. The Council stressed that websites and online media outlets are not allowed to broadcast or share videos or social media links of suicide or suicide attempts. However, when there is an absolute necessity to cover suicide incidents, they must add a trigger warning, avoid auto-play so viewers can consent to watching, and not rebroadcast or re-share the news unnecessarily. The statement also highlighted the importance of adding the available…
