Coroner’s warning as man dies after repeatedly watching ‘A Star Is Born’
All publications featuring a depiction of suicide will have to carry a warning, after the Christchurch man’s death. Kelly Dennett reports.
THE suicide of aman who repeatedly watchedHollywood remake A Star Is Born has prompted the coroner to recommend all TV programmes and films depicting suicide carry a specific warning.
The chief censor, David Shanks, welcomes the recommendation and says the growing popularity of the depiction of suicide in films, television and other publications, is a growing concern for the classification office.
The Sunday Star-Times obtained an exemption from the chief coroner, Judge Deborah Marshall, to fully report the case, with Judge Marshall saying she considered it in the public interest that people are made aware of the risks of films or television programmes that involve suicide. The Star-Times has chosen not to identify the Christchurch man at his family’s request.
The man, a father of two, died in November 2018. He’d had a short-term relationship end shortly after seeing the film A Star Is Born together. He had other personal struggles. Police analysis of his phone use the night of his death revealed he’d watched YouTube music clips from the film repeatedly over an 11-hour period culminating in sending the woman a message with a link to a YouTube clip of the song I’ll Never Love Again. The film depicts the suicide of the main character.
Coroner David Robinson found there was a copycat element in his death, following advice from psychologist and academic Dr Sarah Fortune on whether there was a link between the man’s watching of the film, and his death. She
believed that events in his life had elevated his suicide risk and his death indicated a potential copycat act.
Coroner Robinson found the film appeared ‘‘to have been something of a focus on the last day of his life’’.
Suicide had been given some profile in the entertainment industry, he said. ‘‘One can point to 13 Reasons Why and an episode of The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix), AMillion Little things (SoHo) and even an episode of Shortland Street.’’
Therewas an outcry when Netflix released 13 Reasons Why in 2017, a series aimed at teens that featured the suicide of the main character in a detailed manner. Then, streamingmedia
was not required to be classified by law, but it was re-rated with specific mention to suicide.
Research suggests a link between the depiction or discussion of suicide in popular and news media, and suicide deaths. Critics suggest it glorifies suicide with some research suggesting the more detailed the discussion of method, the higher the risk. New Zealand has strict suicidereporting laws.
Coroner Robinson recommended the rating for any publication that includes the portrayal of suicide to include a specific warning to that fact, and commented that given the potential for harm, and the risk of a causative relationship, that
‘‘those contemplating including a portrayal of suicide in fiction ... ought to think long and hard aboutwhether it is really worth the risk.’’ A publication includes television, film, books, newspapers, audio clips, or anything that includes images, sound or text.
Shanks described the man’s death as incredibly sad, ‘‘and quite personally affecting. It’s a very, very tragic story.’’
The classification office was already making explicit warnings on suicide-related content, following a rise in the depiction in popular media. Just weeks before the man’s death, Shanks had added a suicide warning to A Star Is Born, after complaints.
Figures showed a steady rise in the number of publications requiring this warning – in 2004, just threewere given a suicide warning, compared to 37 last year. The increase would be due to a combination of factors, but also reflected a steady rise in suicide being used in plots, Shanks said.
In some cases a cross-rating system with Australia meant some publications were released before they could be reviewed by the office, as seen in the case of A Star Is Born.
‘‘In order to at least begin to address the potential harm by these kinds of depictions, and this kind of material, at the very least we think consumers should have due warning,’’ Shanks said.
‘‘In our view, it simply does notwork and does not suffice to have awarning with the letter C signifying content, or ‘themes’ or other general terms which in some jurisdictions, under some systems, signify a whole range of content that might be harmful.
‘‘We feel quite strongly that it is only fair and only reasonable to address and mitigate those potential harms to give clear, unambiguous warnings and information about this.’’
What needed significant attention in the future was investigating how to curtail young people’s viewing of suicide material on social networks, following a case in the United Kingdom where algorithms had recommended suicide-related content to a teenager who subsequently died.
Suicide Prevention Office director Carla na Nagara agreed with the recommendation and said it was aworthwhile and constructive contribution to suicide prevention efforts.
‘‘However, it needs to be acknowledged that the causes of suicide are complex, so preventing suicide will take a multi-layered approach including how suicide is depicted in our publications, broadcasting andmedia.
‘‘Suicide prevention efforts need to be focused at every level, from addressing social issues, to wellbeing approaches at individual and community levels, to crisis support.’’