News Bureau
Goal
To develop resources for journalists and news organizations to improve coverage of mental health issues, to monitor and respond to stigmatizing media portrayals, to generate news stories about recovery and prevention, and to train members of the community mental health system (defined broadly) to provide media advocacy.
Next Steps
In 2008, we plan to develop and disseminate widely two new resources for WA state journalists and news organizations: a case statement to provide evidence of stigmatizing portrayals of mental illness in WA State's news media and a brief guide for journalists on reducing stigma and news story ideas on recovery and prevention. Multiple media advocacy trainings will be conducted with consumers, providers, researchers, public safety officials etc. to develop a high-quality, consistent response when adverse media events occur and to aide in the development of news stories on recovery and prevention. Thru a highly publicized kick-off event and multiple meetings with news organizations, the News Bureau will generate public awareness of its goal to improve coverage of mental health issues. Systems to monitor media portrayals and responses to positive and negative coverage and to generate story lines about recovery and prevention will be launched. News Bureau activities will be evaluated using pre-post content analysis of newspaper stories. All strategies will be developed in collaboration with an "editorial board" of working journalists, consumers, providers, and mental health officials.
