The commission's Editors' Code of Practice Committee decided to insert a specific sub-clause to the code after receiving evidence that media reporting of suicide can spark copycat incidents, particularly among young people.
The risk of copycat suicide is up to four times higher among 15- to 19-year-olds, according to a detailed submission sent to the committee from mental health charity Samaritans.
The new clause, which was announced last week, instructs journalists to avoid excessive detail about the method used when reporting suicide cases, such as the number of tablets taken by a victim, unless editors can demonstrate that it serves the public interest.
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