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In 1936, the Norwegian Press Association adopted for the first time a Code of Ethics for the Norwegian Press. A call not to mention suicide, suicide attempt and insanity - except in extraordinary cases - was mentioned as the first of all of the new codes. Before the Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press was adopted, suicide was a fairly common topic in news reports. The Code of Ethics used a Swedish model after Norwegian press members attended the Nordic press conference in Copenhagen in 1935. The Code of Ethics was revised in 1956. The paragraph on suicide had the following wording: “Suicide and suicide attempts should not be mentioned, if not very special circumstances – for instance in connection with severe criminal acts – makes it justifiable.” In a new revision in 1975, the wording was narrowed: “Suicide and suicide attempts should not, as a general rule, be mentioned”. In 1986, the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission (Pressens faglige utvalg, PFU) issued a statement that heralded a new approach to reporting on suicide. In 2006, the text was revised once more, and the paragraph on suicide received the following wording, which still applies: “Be cautious about mentioning suicide and suicide attempts. Avoid describing details that are not necessary to meet general information requirements. Avoid describing suicide methods or other conditions that may trigger additional acts of suicide."

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