Relationships between types of UK national newspapers, illness classification, and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders

Abstract

Background Media coverage on mental health problems has been found to vary by newspaper type, and stigma disproportionately affects people with mental illness by diagnosis. Objective This study investigated the relationships between types of UK national newspaper (tabloid vs. broadsheet), illness classification (SMI–severe mental illnesses vs. CMD–common mental disorders), and stigmatising coverage of mental disorders, and whether these relationships changed over the course of the Time to Change anti-stigma programmes in England and Wales. Methods Secondary analysis of data from a study of UK newspaper coverage of mental illness was performed. Relevant articles from nine UK national newspapers in 2008–11, 2013, 2016 and 2019 were retrieved. A structured coding framework was used for content analysis. The odds an article was stigmatising in a tabloid compared to a broadsheet, and about SMI compared to CMD, were calculated. Coverage of CMD and SMI by newspaper type was compared using the content elements categorised as stigmatising or anti-stigmatising. Results 2719 articles were included for analysis. Articles in tabloids had 1.32 times higher odds of being stigmatising than articles in broadsheet newspapers (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.12–1.55). Odds of stigmatising coverage was 1.72 times higher for articles on SMI than CMD (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.39–2.13). Different patterns in reporting were observed when results were stratified by years for all analyses. A few significant associations were observed for the portrays of stigmatising elements between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers regarding SMI or CMD. Conclusions Tailored interventions are needed for editors and journalists of different newspaper types, to include specific strategies for different diagnoses.

Evaluation of the StigmaWatch program’s impact on media portrayals of suicide and mental illness.

“…The breaches from these news sources were not found to be a direct result of syndication on these platforms, with approximately one quarter of these breaches being from syndicated sources. These findings are consistent with recent research from the United Kingdom, which shows that reporting on people with mental illness in tabloid-style newspapers tends to be more stigmatizing than in other news sources (Li et al, 2021). Proactive and targeted approaches to working with these media outlets may help to improve their understanding of the Mindframe media guidelines and their quality of reporting on mental illness, and subsequently drive down the number of StigmaWatch reports received related to these media outlets.…”

Perceived public stigma and perceived public exposure by persons living with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

“…On the other hand, while the role of media in disseminating information about mental illness is important (Ross et al, 2019), it can also be biased, sensationalized. Mistaken newspaper coverage on mental illnesses, or myths perpetuated about mental illnesses can adversely impact the public's perception of people living with severe mental disorders (SMI) (Li et al, 2021). This negative media coverage can contribute to a harmful social environment that facilitates the rejection, discrimination, stigmatization, and marginalization of people living with a SMI (Dinos et al, 2004).…”

The portrayal of mental health in Irish mainstream news media

“…An analysis of articles relating to mental health from UK newspapers between 2008 and 2019 demonstrated that tabloid newspapers were 32% more likely to be stigmatising compared to broadsheet newspapers (Li et al, 2021). In particular, they found that tabloid newspapers were more likely to stigmatise those with serious mental illness.…”