Madeline Valentine
mv598217@ohio.edu
Mental Illness, a condition commonly stigmatized by society is just as controversial in news coverage as it is in everyday life. An easy target to be demonized, people diagnosed with mental illnesses must deal with the judgment of their peers and the entire nation when coverage of mass shootings or homicides puts a spotlight on the suspect's supposed struggles with mental health.
At times the reporting is correct in that the suspect was diagnosed with a mental illness, but more often than not, reporters rely on comments of neighbors, friends, or even those who barely had contact with the person in question. Focus is placed on what drove this person to commit such vile acts, and many times mental illness and its negative stereotypes are an easy answer.
So why is it so harmful to report using these perceptions of mental illness in relation to crime?
The simplest answer is that most violent crimes are inaccurately connected to mental illness. A study reported in a Times article states that "Only about 4% of interpersonal violence in the United States can be attributed to mental illness."
The same study found that in news stories centering on mental illness, 40% claimed mental illness made people more violent while only 8% stated that most people with these illnesses are never violent. It's negligence at best and pure misinformation at worst for many reporters.
In a 2018 article from the Chicago Tribune, Linda Teplin, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University explained how focusing on mental illness as a motive for crime does no good for society or the people it affects.
She states, "In reality, predicting violence is neither simple nor straightforward. Why? Thousands of people exhibit risk factors but never become mass shooters. In short, mass shootings, though dramatic and memorable, are too rare to predict. It is like trying to pinpoint where lightning might strike. We need to develop creative ways to address this public health crisis."
Instead of putting energy into trying to explain mass shootings with the umbrella term of "mental illness," reporters should instead focus on not warning society of the dangers of people with mental illness but instead educate on the facts of very real issues. There should be no sensationalized articles, making wild claims about the dangers mental illness can drive people to. All that creates is more harm to people with mental health issues and their loved ones.
Hopefully, as mental health becomes less stigmatized, reporters can begin to see the damage their careless words can make and rectify it with ethical, fact-based journalism.
This was an interesting post to read, and as I read it I started to think about how politicized gun control has become in our country, and because of this, mental illness is most likely being used in media to blame for the mass shootings. It's much easier to cry "mental illness" as the reason than to open a can of worms containing gun control laws. Journalists strive to be unbiased and neutral, especially when it's pertaining to controversial subjects. Look at climate change, we have so much scientific data proving it's here and happening, but we never really hear about it in mainstream media. It is because the naysayers have fought to keep media a neutral ground, and they are able to do so through their political connections, and through most importantly money. It's much easier for the media to use mental illness as an umbrella term for these shootings rather then delve into the issues of gun control and the problems our country has seen with guns getting into the wrong people's hands. We know many people would be upset if a journalists opened that can of worms, and many people would be offended, the outlet might lose readers or followers, and even advertisers or sponsors might back out. It really makes me question the whole idea of "freedom of the press". Most journalists find themselves bound by the companies they work for or the people involved at the top, and at the end of the day, it creates biased news that does not truly inform the people of what is happening. It is exactly why mental illness is used as a scapegoat for shootings, even if the evidence does not point to mental illness being the main reason behind most shootings! Thanks for sharing, this was very thought provoking!
ReplyDeleteIt is harmful to include mental illness in reports of mass violence. This reporting ties mental illness to violence. The brain is beyond complex and every individual has a different chemical code. As a result, mental illness generalizations are not accurate and it is unnecessary for reporters to include such details. Mental illness is a case by case issue.
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