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Suicide group condemns newspaper Editor defends 'suicide' picture
(about 2 hours later)
A suicide awareness group has expressed its "disgust" at a Sunday newspaper's decision to print a photograph of a man who had apparently taken his own life. The northern editor of the Sunday World has defended his decision to print a graphic photograph of a man hanging from a bridge in Bangor, County Down.
The Sunday World printed a graphic picture of the man hanging by a rope from a bridge in Bangor in County Down. He had apparently taken his own life. Newspaper editor Jim McDowell apologised for any hurt to families who had suffered because of suicide.
The police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man's death. But he defended his right to publish the photograph which one suicide awareness group labelled "disgusting".
The Sunday World editor Jim McDowell said the publication was "not intended to be voyeuristic". "It was in the public interest. That is what newspapers do," Mr McDowell said.
"They lift stones and they look underneath the stones and they publish the stories."
He added: "I apologise if relatives of deceased people who took their lives are hurt or distressed by this.
"I took the decision to run this picture because this poor man had been left hanging in public view for such a long time.
"It wasn't meant to be voyeurism."
Mr McDowell said the body had been in full public view for three hours. He added that the picture used by the newspaper meant the dead man was not identifiable.
Graphic photographs of the scene were provided to media organisations by a freelance photographer on Saturday.Graphic photographs of the scene were provided to media organisations by a freelance photographer on Saturday.
Malachy Toman from the Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm (PIPS) described the newspaper's decision to print the photographs as "absolutely disgusting".Malachy Toman from the Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm (PIPS) described the newspaper's decision to print the photographs as "absolutely disgusting".
'Excessive' The guidelines for journalists are clear when they are reporting suicide, that care should be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used. This has been completely disregarded. Malachy Toman
"I lost my 21-year-old son in exactly the same circumstances and when I picked up the newspaper this morning, my stomach just churned," he said. "I lost my 21-year-old son in exactly the same circumstances and when I picked up the newspaper, my stomach just churned," he said.
"This young man has a family and friends and I would say they will be feeling a hundred times worse than me when they see this photograph."This young man has a family and friends and I would say they will be feeling a hundred times worse than me when they see this photograph.
"Did the editor not take into consideration how they would feel when he took the decision to publish this? Did he not sit back and think how he would feel if this was a member of his own family?"Did the editor not take into consideration how they would feel when he took the decision to publish this? Did he not sit back and think how he would feel if this was a member of his own family?
"The guidelines for journalists are clear when they are reporting suicide, that care should be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used. This has been completely disregarded."The guidelines for journalists are clear when they are reporting suicide, that care should be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used. This has been completely disregarded.
"I buy the Sunday World every week. I will never buy it again."I buy the Sunday World every week. I will never buy it again.
"I will be contacting the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) first thing in the morning.""I will be contacting the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) first thing in the morning."
Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd said he would also be contacting the PCC and called on the paper to apologise for its "crass and senseless decision."Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd said he would also be contacting the PCC and called on the paper to apologise for its "crass and senseless decision."
Mr McDowell defended his decision to use the photograph. Media analyst and former editor of the Daily Mirror, Roy Greenslade said he believed Mr McDowell was wrong to publish the picture.
He said the body had been in full public view for three hours. "I think it is a matter of taste and I think that people will feel, on seeing those pictures, immensely upset at their publication.
He added that the picture used by the newspaper meant the dead man was not identifiable. "You could have told the story - that the body was left hanging there unnecessarily for a long time by the authorities - without necessarily publishing the picture."
Mr Greenslade said this would prove very distressing for the relatives of the man involved.
The police said they had removed the body as soon as it was possible to do so.The police said they had removed the body as soon as it was possible to do so.