Suicide prevention for journalism students, journalists, and media professionals

The course: 

Suicide prevention for journalism students, journalists, and media professionals

was created as part of the ELLIPSE (E-LIFELONG LEARNING IN PREVENTION OF SUICIDE IN EUROPE) research project. Project co-financed under the European Union program "Erasmus +" (Project No: 2019-1-SE01-KA203-060571).

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course covers basic and intermediate-level knowledge of suicide prevention in the media. It is intended for students of journalism, journalists, and all media professionals, including electronic media.

Attention is focused on the transfer of knowledge and skills on how to properly convey information on topics related to suicides, so as not to increase their number. An important part of the course is also developing the ability to react to dangerous self-destructive behaviour displayed in electronic media, especially social networking sites, as well as in everyday life.

The course also covers a wide spectrum of issues related to psychology (including depression problems, an online meeting with a psychiatrist is planned), culture, religion and art, and the basics of legal knowledge about suicide.

Course duration: 15 weeks. It includes 10 lessons, but 2 of them are carried out over 3 weeks, and one lesson over two weeks.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Basic knowledge about the media, both traditional and electronic, and the principles of preparing journalistic materials.

Knowledge of English at the B1 level (the course is in Polish, but for practical reasons, some media material are provided in the original language, and the same applies to references to world literature and cinematography).

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

The participant of the course will learn to:

• prepare informative texts about suicides, respecting the safety rules
• identify threats in the media, related to reporting suicides,
• respond appropriately to messages related to suicide and self-destruction on social media, also as a moderator and administrator of a website,
• respond appropriately to problems related to depression and emotional crisis,
• prepare media material that can support people in crisis (and others)

In addition to practical skills, the participant of the course will gain knowledge about cultural and historical factors of suicides, even related to art, religion, etc., and will learn about the principles of prevention used in many countries at different times. He or she will also learn about the results of the latest scientific research on these issues and the organization of institutional assistance in the field of suicide prevention.

TOPICS

1. Between Statistics and Myths - an introduction to the subject of suicides.
2. Basic terms relating to suicide and suicide prevention.
3. Basic principles of suicide prevention in the media.
4. How institutions, doctors and psychotherapists help.
5. How people and their stories help.
6. Suicide prevention on websites. (3 units)
7. Pictures of depression.
8. Suicide prevention and fiction, cinematography, and law.
9. Suicide prevention in selected cultures and religions of the world. (3 units)
10. Revision of the message and summary tests. Material and media activities for the prevention of suicides. (2 units)

CREDIT CONDITIONS

The condition for completing the course is to obtain 60% of points from the exercises ("Test your knowledge") in the course. Note: the introductory exercises are not scored (they are intended to arouse interest in the topic and to introduce you to it). 

CONDITIONS FOR OBTAINING A CERTIFICATE

Each participant who completes the course and accumulates at least 60% of the points will receive an (electronic) confirmation document. The certificate is generated automatically at the end of the course.

COURSE STAFF

 Radoslaw Pawelec

Professor, University of Warsaw

Linguist and media expert. Author of studies on suicides and their prevention in language; practices in the implementation of programs in this field for journalists.

   Anna Baran

Psychiatrist. Suicidologist. Affiliated researcher at the Linnaeus University, Kalmar-Växjö, Sweden

Co-author of three handbooks in suicide prevention: for media professionals, for people that are interviewed in media and for the moderators and administrators of the internet networks. Author of numerous studies on suicide prevention as well as guides and practices in the field of suicide prevention. International E-LLIPSE educational grant coordinator (2019-2022).

Paulina Janocha

Media expert, University of Warsaw

Traditional and social media expert. The promoter of knowledge about mental health in the sports environment and partner of the E-LLIPSE program.

Łukasz Krawczyński

Researcher, University of Warsaw

Media researcher, mental health is a major research interest; a member of the E-LLIPSE project team at the University of Warsaw.

Anita Kwiatkowska

Media analyst, University of Warsaw

Media analyst and educator. Design and implementation of Focus Groups Interviews in the Polish part of the E-LLIPSE project. A member of the E-LLIPSE project team at the University of Warsaw.

Aneta Nowosinska

Journalist, University of Warsaw

Journalist, and promoter of knowledge about mental health and suicide prevention in the media environment. A member of the E-LLIPSE project team at the University of Warsaw.

   Marta Makara-Studzinska

Professor at the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Poland

Head of the Department of Health Psychology at the Faculty of Health Sciences. Clinical psychologist, public health specialist, psychotherapist, and psychotherapy supervisor. Expert in the Working Group on prevention of suicide and depression at the Public Health Council at the Ministry of Health. Interests: sailing, basketball.

Maciej Załuski

Senior lecturer at the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Poland

Clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and academic teacher. He graduated from the Institute of Psychology of the Jagiellonian University, where he obtained a doctoral degree in humanities. A specialist in rescue in the field of disaster medicine. He conducts individual and marital psychotherapy, post-traumatic psychotherapy, psychotherapy of personality disorders, and crisis intervention.

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Disclaimer: The support of the European Commission for this project does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only the views of the authors, and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.