Citation

Ross AM, Morgan AJ, Wake A, Jorm AF, Reavley NJ. Health Promot. J. Austr. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Australian Health Promotion Association, Publisher CAIRO Publishing)

DOI

10.1002/hpja.537

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

ISSUE ADDRESSED: News reports linking mental illness to violent crime are among the most stigmatising portrayals. These portrayals can perpetuate stereotypes of dangerousness, negatively influencing public attitudes and having a harmful impact on people with lived experience of mental illness. With the aim of improving the quality of news portrayals and mitigating harm, best-practice guidelines for media reporting on mental illness, violence and crime have been developed. To increase understanding of the guidelines' content, a one-hour workshop based on the main principles was developed for journalism students.

METHODS: In this study, the workshop was piloted with a pre and 3-week follow-up evaluation with a cohort of journalism students (n = 29).

RESULTS: Three weeks after the workshop, there were significant improvements in attitudes towards severe mental illness, knowledge of best-practice reporting, intentions and confidence to report consistently with the best-practice guidelines, and performance on an editing task designed to assess adherence to the guidelines. Belief in dangerousness/unpredictability reduced markedly, demonstrating that the workshop effectively addressed misinformation about people with severe mental illness being a risk to the public.

CONCLUSIONS: This pilot trial provides promising initial results and provides a basis for wider implementation and evaluation of media training on this topic. SO WHAT: Improved understanding of best-practice media guidelines, as generated through this workshop, has potential to reduce stigmatising news reporting on people with mental illness, and consequently reduce public stigma.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; Mass media; Psychotic disorders; Mental disorders; Journalism; Interpersonal violence; evidence-based practice; Media intervention; Schizophrenia; Crime