Stigma in the media: Investigating journalism students attitudes towards mental illness

Abstract

Given the profound role that media play in public opinion, there exists an ongoing necessity to understand the portrayal of mental illness by journalists. There is a plethora of studies that have examined how mental illness is portrayed in the media, but few studies have sought to understand what journalist opinions about mental illness are, and none could be found regarding journalism students' opinions. This study aimed to bridge this gap by examining journalism student's attitudes towards mental illness using the Social Distance Scale (SDS). This study adheres to STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional studies. One hundred and seventy-two undergraduate journalism students (n = 172) completed the SDS with findings suggesting that students had moderate stigmatizing attitudes, with varying degrees of stigma present depending on the social context. Positively framed reporting and constructive media coverage surrounding mental illness may be improved by shared communication and education with health professionals who specialize in mental health: mental health nurses.

… And is there no new thing under the sun? Retrospective study on the presence of stigmatizing articles in two Italian newspapers during the period 2006–2021.

“…Additionally, involving people with mental illness as sources in news stories is a way to reduce stigma and portray individuals with mental illness more positively (O’Brien, 2021). Moreover, journalism can effectively advocate for stigma reduction by amplifying the voices of those with lived experience, who can share their journey of recovery and demonstrate how individuals can lead fulfilling lives with hope, despite mental health challenges (Burns et al, 2022).…”