Pokhara, Aug 19: A code of conduct for journalists has been prepared for suicide prevention. KOSHISH, National Mental Health Self-help Organization, has handed over the ‘Journalist code of conduct for suicide prevention-2080’ to the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Kaski chapter on Friday.
Project manager of KOSHISH, Sudip Ghimire handed over the code of conduct to FNJ Kaski chair Bimala Bhandari.
Ghimire said the code of conduct was developed after series of consultations with stakeholders in different phases.
With the rise in suicide rate in Kaski in 2021, KOSHISH made an attempt to address the issue through journalistic interventions taking Kaski as the working area, Ghimire added.
After finding effects of media content in promoting suicidal cases, the organization took the initiative to develop journalist code of conduct, Ghimire informed.
The code of conduct incorporates the charters such as not to sensationalize the suicide related news/content, not to highlight and repeat such news, not to present detail information, respect privacy and not to disclose source of information.
FNJ Kaski Chair Bhandari asked the entire FNJ family to adhere to the code of conduction for the prevention of suicide which has become a national issue lately.
