Suicide reporting is one of three subjects the Press Law addresses with a criminal provision. Article 20 of Law No. 5187: “Those who publish writing and images concerning incidents of sexual assault, homicide and suicide which exceed the limits of reporting and are capable of encouraging readers to such acts shall be punished with a judicial fine.”
The test: capable of encouraging
The Law does not prohibit reporting suicide. The offence is made out only where two conditions are satisfied together.
| Condition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Exceeding the limits of reporting | Detail and presentation going beyond the need to inform |
| Being capable of encouraging | A narrative apt to lead readers toward the same act |
Note the wording: the Law says “capable of encouraging”, not “encouraged”. It is not necessary that anyone was in fact influenced; it is enough that the narrative is apt to have that effect.
A separate and graver offence: Article 84 of the Criminal Code
Article 84/3: “A person who publicly encourages others to commit suicide shall be punished with imprisonment from three to eight years.” Article 84/1 punishes with two to five years’ imprisonment a person who instigates, encourages, strengthens another’s decision to commit suicide, or assists a suicide in any way.
Elements of narrative that raise the risk
The features closest to satisfying the statutory test of being “capable of encouraging” are these:
- Detailed description of the method — the means used, the dose, the technique
- Describing the location — risk rises where incidents recur at the same place
- Use of images — the scene, a note left behind, frames showing the body
- Reproducing a note — particularly quoting it in full
- Attributing the cause to a single event — simplifications such as “over debt” or “over a relationship”
- Romanticising language — expressions such as “escape” or “found peace”
- Prominence in the headline and lead image — most readers see only the headline
A safer reporting frame
- Do not state the method or the location; stay at the level of “took their own life”.
- Do not reproduce or quote from a note.
- Do not use images of the scene, the funeral or the grief of relatives.
- Do not reduce the cause to a single event; avoid asserting causation.
- Do not lead with the story on the front page or in the headline.
- Add information about support lines and professional help.
- Do not give identifying details unless the person was a public figure.
Where a child is involved
If a person under eighteen is involved, Article 21(c) of Law No. 5187 applies as well: no publication may disclose the identity of, or enable the recognition of, offenders or victims of an offence who are under eighteen. A school name, a neighbourhood or family details can lead to identification on their own.
Sanctions
A breach of Article 20 of Law No. 5187 attracts a judicial fine. The amounts in the text are expressed in pre-2005 lira; Article 5 of Law No. 5252 converted “heavy fines” into judicial fines and provided that, for judicial fines requiring application between a lower and an upper limit, the lower limit is applied as TRY 2,500 and the upper as TRY 500,000. Verify the current figures. Under Article 28 of Law No. 5187, fines imposed for offences under that Law other than those in Articles 18 and 22 may not be converted into a custodial sentence.
Homicide reporting limits are covered in the homicide guide and descriptions of method in the criminal methods guide.