The Kenneth Law media event – A dangerous natural experiment.

Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, Vol 45(1), 2024, 1-7; doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000942In late April 2023, the international media broke the story of the arrest and criminal charges against Kenneth Law, a Canadian man accused of sending a deadly substance to a number of individuals across Canada and internationally (Miller, 2023; Peel Regional Police, 2023). This is a newsworthy story and one that deserves coverage. However, it also carries the potential for harm, as the substance Law allegedly distributed is unusual and previously unknown to most of the public. In this editorial, we will describe some of the ethical issues and considerations regarding responsible reporting of the Kenneth Law story and make recommendations about how such information might be conveyed more safely to the public going forward. At the outset, we acknowledge two important points. First, at the time of writing, Mr. Law’s criminal case is still before the courts. We do not intend to make any claims about whether the allegations against him are true or false. What matters from the perspective of suicide prevention is how the details of the allegations are presented to the public, regardless of whether that information is later proven in a court of law. This is because it is the information conveyed by the media, in this case, potentially harmful details of a novel suicide method, that can impact public health and suicide rates. The media has told the story of his case...
Source: Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research