Christine Chubbuck: the reporter who committed suicide on live TV
The very nature of live television is unpredictable, with many surprising and unforgettable moments taking place on our screens over the years. For example, countless people were in a state of pure disbelief after news reporters captured live footage of the second plane hitting the World Trade Centre in 2001, unexpectedly watching America’s biggest tragedy play out in front of them.
Elsewhere, there have been bizarre hijackings, such as the Max Headroom incident, in which a man wearing a mask of the character mumbled incoherent words as his face interrupted a broadcast of a sports report. However, one of the most unforgettable live TV incidents came in 1974 when Christine Chubbuck shot herself in the head while reporting the news, becoming the first person to commit suicide live on air.
Tragically, there have been several people who have committed suicide on live television since. Still, none quite like Chubbuck, who planned out her death, changing the schedule for the morning’s broadcast and even leaving a script for another reporter to read after her attempt. Chubbuck had experienced depression and loneliness for quite some time, struggling to connect with others or find a romantic partner, which led her to feel hopeless. She had also been told that it was unlikely that she’d be able to have children.
After working for several television stations, she landed a role as a reporter on Suncoast Digest on WXLT. Despite involving herself in her job and seemingly taking great interest in her work, it appeared that she was simply unhappy in other aspects of her life, feeling unfulfilled due to her lack of close connections, both platonically and romantic.
Chubbuck ended up killing herself on July 15th, 1974, during a broadcast of Suncoast Digest. Only the week before had she ‘joked’ about killing herself to a colleague, who assumed she was attempting some dark humour. He was completely unaware that Chubbuck was going to pack a gun in her handbag before heading to work, ready to end her life in front of everyone watching television.
On the morning of the incident, Chubbuck read out some of the latest stories before shocking everyone. Calmly, she read out her own script before pulling out the gun and shooting herself. Her final words were: “In keeping with the WXLT practice of presenting the most immediate and complete reports of local blood and guts news, TV 40 presents what is believed to be a television first. In living colour, an exclusive coverage of an attempted suicide.”
It is unclear if Chubbuck actually meant to kill herself or merely “attempt” suicide, and people are also unsure as to why she chose to do it live on air. Luckily, the video has never been aired since, with the station’s owner, Robert Nelson, keeping the only copy of the tape so that no one could see it.
It’s a truly tragic story, one that reportedly inspired Sidney Lumet’s movie Network, which involves a man being killed live on air. A line of dialogue referring to Chubbuck was even written for the film, but it was ultimately unused. A movie about Chubbuck, simply titled Christine, was released in 2016. Watch the trailer below.
