The Samaritans have launched a new online training course for journalists on the topic of suicide and media coverage.

The Suicide in the Media free e-learning tool offers practical tips and advice on covering suicide and follows on from the release of the organisation’s Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide.

The Samaritans say the training guide will help participants to understand the research and guidance informing best practice in this area.

In a statement, the organisation said: “The programme has been designed with busy media professionals in mind, offering a series of short interactive modules which focus on key areas for consideration when covering this sensitive and complex topic.

“These include, approaching challenging suicide stories, identifying risk areas, understanding who is more susceptible to suicide contagion, and why it’s important to encourage help-seeking by signposting sources of support. It also features examples of responsible coverage which research has shown can support understanding and help to prevent suicide deaths.”

The tool can be accessed for free via Samaritans’ website where users sign up with an email address to create a profile which enables logging in and out of modules and tracking of progress.

For further information and guidance, visit the media guidelines section of the Samaritans website or email: mediaadvice@samaritans.org