Responding to Media Coverage

When reporting issues around suicide and mental illness, the media don't always get it right. It is helpful to attempt to discuss the issues with those involved, preferably in a proactive and cooperative manner. There are a number of possible strategies for responding to inaccurate or inappropriate reporting. Consider what type of response is most appropriate for each circumstance.

• Send a report to SANE’s StigmaWatch program at www.sane.org.
• Contact your Public Affairs or Media Relations Unit and request that they contact the journalist or organisation involved. They may have an existing relationship with the newspaper or station and may get a better response. Provide a list of your concerns in order to support this contact.
• If you are a large organisation or professional body consider issuing a countering media release.
• If you don’t have a media unit, contact the person involved (reporter) directly. Highlight your concerns, let them know about the potential impact of the story and try to identify how you can work together to produce a better story.
• Ask the media professional concerned to view the material in the Mindframe for Media Professionals section of this website (www.mindframe-media.info) and contact the Mindframe project team if they have any questions or would like to request a briefing for staff at their organisation.
• Write a letter to the editor for publication. This is an expedient way to present an alternative view.
• Consider countering the negative story by pitching a positive story about the issue to the organisation or a rival organisation.
• You can submit a formal complaint to the peak media body representing that particular organisation if it in some way breaches one of their codes of practice. For print media this can be done through the Australian Press Council (www.presscouncil.org.au) and for broadcast media you can contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority (www.acma.gov.au/acmainter). All codes of practice can be viewed online or by contacting the relevant authority.

Remember, feedback doesn’t always have to be negative – consider giving positive feedback for examples of good reporting.

• Send examples of good reporting to StigmaWatch for posting on the ‘good news’ section.
• Contact the media professional responsible and congratulate them on a good job.
• Give specific feedback regarding the positive aspects of the story. This will assist the media professional involved to include these features in future stories on mental illness and suicide.
• Enter the story in media awards, e.g. Suicide Prevention Australia’s LiFE Awards, The Mental Health Service Awards, or local media awards.