The Study Of Suicide News Reports During Chinese Social Transition

Suicide is classified as a kind of violence which executes to oneself in many researches, so, suicide news is a kind of violence news. Floyd, the founder of psychoanalysis believes that human being is naturally interested in violence, so reporters are naturally interested in suicide news. Furthermore, during the period of social transition, suicide caused by social contradictory appears much more attractive in China.On one side, suicide news is a reflection of humanity's instinct, on the other side, suicide news may cause imitative suicide which is well known as "Werther effect". How should reporters do to refrain from any rash action? Although there is a violent social contradiction, one's heart is soft and sensitive. How should reporters do to avoid more casualties? We all have sympathy, but reporters must be objective and rational. In summation, it is complicated when reporters confront with suicide, how should they do? These questions will be discussed in this thesis.In this thesis, I use some communication theories such as "agenda-setting theory" "theory of news professionalism" "theory of social responsibility", and some related theories such as "health communication" in communication, "hopeful journalism" in journalism, "theory of multi-factor cause suicide" in sociology and psychology and physic to analysis some reports about the suicide event happened in FOXCONN last year. My research methods include text analysis, case study and comparative analysis.I draw a conclusion that reporters should set agenda on the basis of news professionalism in order to communicate positive emotion during the period of social transition, and disseminate healthy information to more and more people while rethinking what is wrong with the society. Finally, I discuss the value of this conclusion from the angle of individual and the whole society. I think it is the best way to make suicide news positive.