Media Professionals

Mindframe-media is an online companion to the publication 'Reporting Suicide and Mental Illness - a resource for media professionals'.

The resource was developed with the assistance of media professionals, suicide and mental health experts and consumer organisations to inform appropriate reporting of suicide and mental illness, to minimise harm and copycat behaviour, and reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental illness.

Mindframe Media Survey closed

Thank you to those who completed the Mindframe online media survey. Your opinions and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

The survey will help inform possible plans to redesign the materials and identify new content areas that may be needed. It will also inform in-depth consultations with the media and other stakeholders to ensure the resources are current and useful for media professionals.

Mindframe wins 2011 Mental Health Matters Award

13 October 2011

The Mindframe project team at the Hunter Institute of Mental Health has been awarded the CALD category Mental Health Matters Award for their work in developing the Media and Public Speaking: a guide for the MMHA Speakers Bureau resource in partnership with a national program to support the mental health of Australians from a CALD background.

Program Manager, Jaelea Skehan and Director of HIMH, Trevor Hazell accepted the award at the Mental Health Month Launch and Awards Ceremony held yesterday, 12th October at Parliament House.

Click here to view the news item and media release

Left to right: John Spiteri (Transcultural Mental Health), Jaelea Skehan (HIMH) ,
Maria Cassaniti (Transcultural Mental Health) and Trevor Hazell (HIMH).

Mindframe supports consistent advice to journalists on covering suicide

2 August 2011

The Australian Press Council (APC) today released updated standards relating to suicide reporting. These standards articulate some of the differences between reporting on the broader issue of suicide and the reporting of individual deaths.

The revised standards still ask for considered and sensitive reporting of individual deaths by suicide, where there is clear public interest to do so or clear and informed consent by family. The standards ask for the method and location not to be described in detail, that reports are not given undue prominence, that language is appropriate and that readers are provided with information about 24-hour crisis counselling services.

The revised standards are consistent with the Mindframe resources for journalists (www.mindframe-media.info) and the Response Ability resources for journalism students (www.responseability.org)

The APC standards for reporting suicide are also consistent with all other media codes of practice and editorial policies.

Mindframe supports the revised APC guidelines and will continue to work collaboratively with all peak media bodies to ensure consistent advice and resources for the media on reporting both suicide and mental illness.

Copies of the Australian Press Council Standards for reporting suicide are available from the link below:

Australian Press Council Standards Relating to Suicide

For more information contact the Mindframe Project Office on (02) 4924 6904 or call the Program Manager, Jaelea Skehan, directly on 0402 292 005.

More information about the Mindframe Media and Mental Health Project, which supports the ongoing development of this resource, can be found here.