Seeking the Best in Media Coverage

8 April 2002

Nominations for outstanding media coverage of mental health - programmes that inspire and affect positive change - are being sought by Mental Health Media for this years annual Awards.

Mental Health Medias Awards recognize the role of the media in promoting greater understanding and awareness of mental health issues - in both factual reporting and fictional representations.

This year there is a new Awards category - that for best mental health storyline in a Soap or Drama Serial.

Last years award winners include clinical psychologist Rufus May for his groundbreaking interview on Radio 4 about his personal experience of schizophrenia and psychiatry and BBC TVs drama Donovan Quick starring Colin Firth.

Although one in four of us will experience mental health problems, the reality of these experiences is often misrepresented and misunderstood, perpetuating silence, taboos and discrimination.

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Notes for Editors

For further details please contact Kate Summerside on 020 7700 8171/8172

The Mental Health Media Awards will be presented at 6.30pm on Thursday 17th October 2002 at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, London, W1V 0LN

The 2002 Judges include:
David Brindle, The Guardian
Roger Graef, Films of Record
David Lloyd, Channel 4
Jo Kay, Journalist
Jenni Murray, Writer and Broadcaster
Dr Phil Thomas, Consultant Psychiatrist
Dr Vivien Lindow, Independent Researcher
Jane Drabble, OBE
Rufus May, Clinical Psychologist and Survivor

The Mental Health Media Awards, now in their 9th year were established to promote high quality broadcasting about mental health and distress.

Mental Health Media is a voluntary organisation, which works with the media to promote peoples voices in order to reduce the discrimination and prejudice surrounding mental health and learning difficulties.