Suicides are over-publicized

Death is a sensitive subject, one that few of us feel comfortable openly discussing. However, when a celebrity dies, their death is plastered on every cable news channel and social media site for weeks thereafter.

However, when thousands of people die due to unavoidable situations such as disease or war, and only a rare glimpse of these incidents are presented in the media.

Be it a candlelight vigil or a hasty poster board memorial, these stories run for a day or so on major news outlets before they disappear forever.

Several weeks ago, actor Robin Williams committed suicide. His death was shocking, and truly sad, but what followed his death  were lengthy broadcasts of photos, news pieces, and even local television stations recounting the last days of his life.

Hundreds of posts flooded news feeds on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites. We can be certain that suicide is hardly going to  fade from our society anytime soon, but how these stories are publicized needs to change.

Another story of suicide not so widely publicized nationally happened in small-town Nebraska, where the victim’s tragic story was broadcast with the same reverence normally reserved for celebrities.

While there are many reasons why a person commits such a heart-wrenching act, the news coverage of their death should be treated with equal sensitivity paid to someone who dies at no fault of their own. Where are their month-long news stories? The hundreds of photos and mentions of them on social media sites?

Death is always a tragic and serious subject, however, culturally it would appear as though we value a person and exalt their life more after they commit suicide, and ignore the somber deaths of those who do not.