This is sad. June 14, 2020, was supposed to be about the relatives, friends and fans grieving of the loss of Sushant Singh Rajput, an incredibly talented actor. Sushant was found dead in his flat, with initial reports saying that the actor has died by suicide. There are also reports that the star, who was last seen in Chhichhore, was suffering clinical depression in the past few months, and that could be the reason for him to take such an unfortunate step. This is a hard loss for not just Bollywood, but Indian cinema as a whole. For Sushant was an incredibly fine actor and his performances in Kai Po Che, Byomkesh Bakshy, Sonchiriya, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Chhichhore. RIP Sushant Singh Rajput: From Kai Po Che To Chhichhore, 7 Dialogues Of The Actor That Will Live Forever!

And yet, our mourning for the actor was overshadowed by the outrage for media. Check Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and we can see people are angry. They are outraged with the way certain news channels are reporting his death. One channel reached his parents' home in Patna, Bihar, and had thrusted a microphone under his grieving father's face for a quote.

Another photojournalist went inside the home and took picture of the man crying in inconsolable grief. Some miscreant manages to take the pictures of the actor's dead body and shares them on social media, and these are used by a couple of channels.

Tweeple objected to the use of certain phrases used by channels to make their headlines feel sensational ('Hit Wicket Ho Gaye'). The whole thing gave a sense of deja vu, as similar outrage over media reporting happened when Sridevi passed away a couple of years back, and her unexpected demise made conspiracy theorists out of certain sections of media.

I could have called out them here in this article, but as a publication, even we have been in a way complicit of pandering to our audience. There have been shortcomings in the way we have covered the celeb deaths. In the eagerness to get more readers, we have been pushing more and more articles on them like a machine. Without realising that some of them may actually come across as insensitive. From RIP Sridevi to Sridevi Death Mystery! News Channels' Postmortem of the Actress' Demise Leaves Us Grieving More.

Just like the consumer, even the media is hungry for details. Unlike the consumer though, we are in a better position to get the info. It is in our responsible power to make sure what details need to be sought and what have to be passed on. I admit that we are in this mad rat race for TRPs, but let's pause for a moment and reflect for once - should that come at the cost of our conscience? For once, can we just overlook the SEO and the rewards that it bring to be humane?

The outrage over media coverage of Sushant's suicide should be an eye-opener for everyone in this field. Maybe it is time for us to reevaluate how we need to cover these demises. Perhaps, these seven basic lessons could help us in doing so.

#1 Using The Right Phrases

Many health advisories, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), have asked media to refrain from using the phrase 'committed suicide'. They argue that this serves a very negative connotation. Instead, it is advised to use 'Died By Suicide', So when reporting such sensitive deaths, let's look at what these advisories are suggesting to use, and avoid those phrases that we think are normally used. And certainly not something like 'Hit Wicket'.

#2 Respecting The Family's Privacy

In Nishikant Kamat's Mumbai Meri Jaan, based on the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, Soha Ali Khan plays the top journalist who chases after sensationalism in a story. In a twist of irony, she becomes her own channel's fodder as they seek her quote right when she learns her fiance has been killing in the terrorist attack. Death happens in every household. It is the most grieving time for the family. So let's be more sensitive and give space to them during their tragedy, instead of seeking quotes and photos. Grief is supposed to be personal and not to be shared with the world. It is a moment for the family to be together, so let's not be the outsider who intrudes their private space.

#3 Respecting The Departed

SSR wasn't Adolf Hitler; he didn't shoot himself in a bunker because he would be labelled a war criminal for gassing millions of Jews. He was a well-liked actor, who took the extreme step for some unresolved pain in his life. So it is pertinent to respect the person, even if he isn't with us anymore. Let's not engage in any kind of negative discussions surrounding the departed person, like the relationship fails, the career fails and any other conspiracies that fit in a blind item. Now is not the right moment. We aren't cops, we cannot indulge in baseless rumour-mongering that will end up hurting people who admire the person. If we have any issue with the departed, let's keep our dissent aside for the day in respect for those who are actually grieving.

#4 Not Circulating The Pictures

It has become this very disturbing trend to circulate the last videos and pictures of the actors. Even more disturbing is sharing the pictures of the actor's dead body, which happened in Sushant's case. That's not just against journalistic ethics, but also against basic human decency. And as per Mumbai Police Cyber Cell team, a punishable crime too!

#5 Not Circulating The Details

In a series of tweets, the Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy had issues a few advisories to media on how to cover suicide-related deaths. Here are seven points that it tweeted for the media to follow

1. Don’t promote suicide stories by placing them in the front pages of the newspaper or as a lead item for broadcast media.

2. Don’t give details about the method or location of any suicide death or attempt.

3. Suicide notes, text messages, social media posts, and emails of the deceased person and/or their family members should not be published.

4. Don’t speculate. Verify your facts from multiple sources when the reasons for a suicide death or attempt are not immediately clear.

5. Don’t reveal personal details about family members, the deceased person, or any person who has attempted suicide without their informed consent.

6. Don’t write of suicide deaths/attempts as horrific, unfortunate events. Open up your story by focusing on the celebrity’s life and their contribution to society.

7. Suicide is a largely preventable public health problem. There are several counselling services and helplines working across the country for this cause. Include these resources in your story/report.

See there is nothing rocket science in their advice.

#6 Stop Being Attention-Seekers!

Let's be honest guys. We know that the kind of sensationalist reporting that we do is not out of ignorance of ethics. It is purely to grab eye-balls, as in today's world, even negative attention is attention. A few of our news channels thrive on that instead of actual reporting. But maybe take a little moment to introspect - would you do the same kind of reporting if the unfortunate celeb in question is from a big political party? Will you dare to show graphics recreating the person's demise, or write headlines like 'Hit Wicket Ho Gaya'? Or would you even dare to make an entry into the house of the person to get a quote from his grieving relatives and supporters? Think!

#7 Show Move Awareness of The Person's Influence Over The Fans

A celeb like Sushant Singh Rajput has millions of fans in the country and overseas, which also includes teenagers and kids. While his death is definitely a tragedy for them, any kind of over-exaggerated reporting leaves a negative impression on their minds. Especially in the case of suicide deaths. Cases like Sushant's should be used to create more awareness about clinical awareness and asking people to share their feelings, and others to lend an ear to their issues. Sensationalising a death in fact creates the opposite impact. Don't be the reason for a million heartbreaks, who are already in grief.

In case you wish to know more details about our suicide helplines, please check the link here. Above all, please don't let anything put you down. This is the time where we need to reach out to our loved ones, and talk to them.

We miss you, Sushant Singh Rajput, and on behalf of the media fraternity, I apologise to your spirit and your fans for making a spectacle out of a tragic moment.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2020 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).