The BBC has issued a 'sincere' apology after facing backlash over its reporting of the death of former Liverpool Women's manager Matt Beard, who died by suicide last month. The broadcaster faced criticism for including specific details about the method of his death in a headline and push notification sent to users.
The initial story, published on the BBC Sport website on Monday, was based on a coroner's hearing and contained references to the method of suicide in both the headline and body text. It was also sent as a push notification to the platform's 8.5 million weekly active accounts. Following complaints, the story was edited to remove suicide references from the headline and add a trigger warning, though the method remains in the article.
In a statement, the BBC acknowledged it was 'not appropriate to include specific details of Matt Beard's tragic death in a recent headline and push notification.' The broadcaster apologised for any distress caused and pledged to ensure future coverage of sensitive issues follows best practice and guidelines.
Beard's death on September 20 in Chester prompted an outpouring of tributes from the football community. He led Liverpool to Women's Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, and most recently had a brief stint at Burnley before resigning in June. The BBC's editorial policy advises avoiding references to suicide in headlines unless editorially justified, and the report also breached Samaritan guidelines on reporting methods of suicide.
