A fact sheet for journalists, which will guide journalists on working with families after a suicide is to be produced later this year by Samaritans.

The charity is currently revising its media guidelines to include a section on new media and other issues raised in recent years.

Press and PR manager Sal Lalji told Journalism.co.uk that the fact sheet will act as a “guide for journalists on dealing with families in the aftermath of suicide”, and the charity’s media guidelines have been produced in partnership with the Irish Association of Suicidology.

She added that the charity has consulted with different family groups, journalists and other experts.

Generally we felt that over the last few years the media are coming to us more and more and we have built very good relationships with almost every national, and also regionally and [with] broadcast.

Everybody does seem to be more willing to come to us and talk to us about coverage of suicide and subjects in that nature, to get advice on the best way to report. As a result of that we’ve developed the advice and guidance we give out and decided it would be better to re-do the guidelines based on the learnings we’ve had over the past few years.

You can hear more from Sal in this week’s podcast along with advice for journalists reporting on suicide.