During May Rachel Browne of the Sydney Morning Herald was nominated to StigmaWatch for an insightful and responsible report regarding famous Bondi lifeguard Matt Dee and his family’s experiences with mental illness and suicide.
Matt Dee, who may be known to StigmaWatchers through the reality television show Bondi Rescue, spoke about his experiences as a carer to raise awareness about mental illness and reduce the stigmas held towards schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Rachel responsibly told of Matt’s feelings after he lost his brother and sister to suicide, choosing to refrain from reporting on the methods, location or glamourising the suicides.
StigmaWatch encourages journalists to read Rachel’s story online and refer to the Mindframe Guidelines when reporting on mental illness or suicide-related issues.