SANE StigmaWatch 2009Portrayal of mental illness and suicide in the Australian media 2008-2009

StigmaWatch A program of the SANE Media Centre

SANE StigmaWatch 2009Mental illness and suicide in the Australian media 2008-2009

Reducing stigma through accurate, positive stories . . .

SANE StigmaWatch reflects community concern about media stories, advertisements, and other

representations which stigmatise mental illness or inadvertently promote self-harm and suicide.

A program of the SANE Media Centre, StigmaWatch also has an important positive focus, providing

feedback to the media following accurate and responsible portrayals of mental illness and suicide.

During the past two years, the SANE Media Centre has doubled its contact with the media and

the mental health sector – providing education and guidance about appropriate representations of

mental illness and suicide within the media. The strengthening of these relationships has contributed

to an increase in the number of accurate, more responsible and respectful items: Good News stories.

These included many personal accounts, which are especially important in raising awareness, and

empower those who have been affected by stigma.

During 2008-2009, StigmaWatch received 326 reports of stigma.

The majority of inappropriate coverage was associated with the reporting of suicide, particularly the

description of methods in news stories and features. The most extreme stigmatising media coverage,

however, was sensationalised news reporting, often concerning violence or the inaccurate, misleading

and hurtful use of terms such as ‘schizophrenic’.

After a spike in reports of stigma in online media during 2007-08, reports of this dropped from over

50% to 32% in the current year, suggesting the effectiveness of StigmaWatch in being able to rapidly

identify, assess, and take action on cases which meet the criteria.

An increase in stigmatising advertisements was also tackled, with two cases found to be in breach of the

Advertising Standards Bureau’s Code of Ethics, and so requiring withdrawal or modification.

Identifying accurate, responsible Good News stories is also important.

Giving positive feedback to media professionals makes an important contribution to encouraging

discussion of mental illness as a mainstream issue in the media: debunking myths and stigma, improving

community attitudes and support for better mental health services, and encouraging people to seek help.

The 2008-2009 year saw an increase of 43% over the previous year in Good News reports. These were

especially concerned with news reports, representing issues around mental illness and suicide in an

accurate, sensitive and non-sensational way.

StigmaWatchersAnyone can sign up to be a StigmaWatcher via the SANE website, and help to reduce stigma by

monitoring the Australian media for inaccurate, inappropriate or irresponsible reporting of mental

illness and suicide. Sending in Good News stories is also encouraged – reports of accurate and respectful

representations that help to raise awareness and break down misconceptions about mental illness and

suicide. All StigmaWatchers receive regular updates on the program, alerts on current activity and

campaigns and can request a copy of the SANE Guide to Reducing Stigma. n

SANE Media CentreStigmaWatch is a program of the SANE Media Centre which works with, and supports, media

professionals and the mental health sector to promote accurate and responsible portrayal of mental

illness and suicide. The Centre is supported by the Australian Government as part of the Mindframe

Initiative.

Good News: Case study

‘I wanted to take mum’s pain away . . .’The SANE Media Centre worked with Grazia magazine and Tara Anderson,

who shared her experiences of living with, and caring for her mother who

has Schizophrenia. The article was balanced, accurate, and respectful, and

highlighted the stigma often faced by those affected and their families. n

StigmaWatch: Case study

‘Skitzo’ costume adSANE received complaints that costume hire company, Kool and Unusual, were

advertising a highly offensive ‘Skitzo’ costume on their website. Featuring a

menacing figure wearing restraints and a face mask, the ad promised it would

have you ‘looking the part of a psychotic madman in no time’.

Following contact from SANE explaining the harm caused by stigma, the

company immediately removed the description, and will no longer be stocking

the costume. n

Print 61%

A national charity helping peopleaffected by mental illness

SANE AustraliaPO Box 226South Melbourne VIC 3205

T +61 3 9682 5933

F +61 3 9682 5944

E info@sane.org

www.sane.org

J I S L ZTelevision Websites Radio Print media Advertising

Good News reportsJuly 2008 – June 2009

Online 13%

Radio 9%

TV 17%

Stigma reportsJuly 2008 – June 2008

Other 6%

Online 32%Print 29%

Advertising 6%

Radio 8%

TV 19%

‘Skitzo’ costumeJanuary 2009

Grazia MagazineMay 2009

SANE StigmaWatch FAQAnita Orr, SANE StigmaWatch Coordinator, answers Frequently Asked Questions.

What is stigma?

Stigma is the perception of a group of people as less worthy of respect than others. It is

often unintentional and results from a lack of understanding. Stigma against people with

a mental illness often involves inaccurate and hurtful representations of them as violent,

comical or incompetent – objects of fear or ridicule. Stigma is broken down when we

realise the true facts about mental illness, acknowledge the harm stigma does, and

understand that mental illness can happen to anyone, like any other health problem.

Why is it important to fight stigma?

People with a mental illness are members of our society, just like anyone else.

We all need to understand what mental illness really means, therefore, and accept

those affected as equal members of our community. Stigma is a major barrier to this

understanding and acceptance. SANE research shows stigma is a major cause of distress

to those affected, their families and friends. It can discourage people from seeking

help because of concerns about how others will react. Stigma also leads to actual

discrimination, whereby someone is treated unfairly because of their illness.

How do I report stigma or Good News stories in the media?

Visit the StigmaWatch area of www.sane.org or call (03) 9682 5933 to file a report.

Ensure you provide full details, so the report can be verified and acted upon promptly.

StigmaWatch also encourages people to contact the media outlet directly – so they can

hear first-hand how people are affected by their reporting and portrayal of mental illness

and suicide. If you act on something you have seen or heard, let us know about it so we

can track reports and media responses.

What does SANE StigmaWatch do about stigma?

SANE StigmaWatch raises awareness of the impact of inaccurate and irresponsible

reporting of mental illness and suicide, and supports media professionals to improve

their practices in this area. StigmaWatch contacts those responsible, explaining the harm

stigma causes and encouraging them to describe mental illness and suicide in a more

sensitive, responsible manner. Serious cases are taken further, and may involve more

wide-reaching action, including formal complaints to regulatory bodies.

What else is being done about stigma?

As a program of the SANE Media Centre, StigmaWatch is supported by, and works in

partnership with, the Australian Government’s Mindframe National Media Initiative.

This Initiative educates journalists, editors and others in the media on the importance

of reporting mental illness and suicide accurately and responsibly. SANE works in

partnership on the Mindframe project with the Hunter Institute of Mental Health,

Auseinet and Multicultural Mental Health Australia.

Mindframe also provide a number of initiatives that extend beyond news media, to

provide a breadth of education on reporting of mental illness and suicide. These include

the ResponseAbility project for journalism students studying at university, the Stage

and Screen project for film and television dramas, and resources for Police and Courts,

as these are major sources of information for the media. For more information about

Mindframe, visit www.mindframe-media.info. n

www.sane.org

The media play a powerful role in shaping attitudes towards people

with mental illness. That’s why I’m delighted to be a Patron of SANE

StigmaWatch.

Andrew Denton

Patron of SANE StigmaWatch

SANE StigmaWatch is an initiative of SANE Australia, the mental health charity.

It is supported by the Friends of SANE, and receives funding from the Australian Government’s National Mental Health Strategy

and National Suicide Prevention Strategy through the Mindframe National Media Initiative.