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 The media play a major role in influencing public attitudes, and this
includes attitudes to mental illness. With the support of hundreds of
StigmaWatch volunteers, the SANE StigmaWatch program monitors the Australian media to ensure accurate and respectful representation of mental illness and suicide.
StigmaWatch voices community feedback about representations within the media that stigmatise mental illness or inadvertently promote self-harm and suicide by explaining the harm stigma causes and encouraging them to report in a
more sensitive, responsible manner. Serious cases are taken further and
may involve more wide reaching action, such as public statements or
formal complaints to industry bodies.
The StigmaWatch program also provides positive feedback to the media about accurate and responsible portrayals of mental illness and suicide that help increase understanding and awareness, contacting those responsible to pass on positive feedback and highlighting the key role such media coverage plays in battling stigma.
Examples of stigmatising reporting about mental illness and suicide
Examples of responsible reporting about mental illness and suicide
Why is it important to fight stigma?
As a community, we need to develop an understanding about mental
illness and accept those affected as equal members of the community. As
stigma often perpetuates fallacies, it can be a major barrier to
community understanding and acceptance of people with a mental illness,
leading to prejudice and discrimination. Read more >>
The impact of stigma
Research by SANE shows stigma is a major cause of distress to those
affected, their families and friends - stigma can create as much pain
and stress as the illness itself and can discourage people from
seeking help because of concern over how others will react and treat
them. Read personal stories here >>
StigmaWatch in partnership
SANE StigmaWatch is a program of the SANE Media Centre, which works in partnership with the National Media and Mental Health Group to provide expert advice to the Australian Government's Mindframe National Media Initiative.
The Mindframe Initiative is a comprehensive strategy that aims to influence media representation of mental illness and suicide, encouraging responsible, accurate and sensitive portrayals. The strategy includes a number of projects which focus on providing resources and education opportunities for media professionals, journalism students, the mental health and suicide prevention sector, police and courts, and those involved in the development of Australian film, television and theatre.
SANE partners with the Mindframe project coordinator, the Hunter Institute of Mental Health and Multicultural Mental Health Australia, in managing this work.
The SANE Media Centre is supported by the Friends of SANE and receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing through the Mindframe Strategy.
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