August 2002

Shortlist announced for Mental Health Media Awards 2002

The shortlist for the seven categories in the Mental Health Media Awards 2002 have been been announced.

The twenty seven successful shortlisted entries for the 7 Awards categories were felt by the shortlisting panel to portray mental health issues and mental distress in a way that was fair, accurate, challenged negative stereotypes put the voices and experiences of the mental health service user at the heart of the story.

The shortlisted entries now go through to the final judging stage of the Awards. The winners of each category will be announced and presented with their awards at the Mental Health Media Awards 2002 ceremony, Thursday 17th October 2002 at BAFTA, London.

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

The shortlist is as follows:

Category: TV & Radio News
Powerhouse: Challenge to Mental Health Reforms (ITN for Channel 4)
PM: Mental Health Report (BBC Radio 4)

Category: TV Documentary
Scar Stories (BBC Religion and Ethics for BBC1)
Mind Your Head (Carlton Television for Carlton's Central Region - ITV)
The Boy Can't Help It (BBC Documentaries for BBC1)
EORPA (BBC Scotland for BBC2 Scotland)
4x4 Reports: Marked for Life (BBC for BBC1)

Category: Factual Radio
Gary Robertson Show: 23rd May 2002 (BBC Radio Scotland)
Health in Mind: The Big Questions (Greenwich Village Productions for BBC World Service)
All in the Mind: 27th March 2002 (BBC Radio 4)
Face the Facts: 24th August 2002 (BBC Radio 4)

Category: Single Drama & Drama Serial
New Found Land: Leonard (Stella Maris Films for Scottish TV/Grampian TV)
Swallow (Box TV for Channel 4)
New Found Land: Saved (Cormorant Films for Scottish TV/Grampian TV)

Category: Soaps & Drama Series
Eastenders (BBC Drama Series for BBC 1)
The Bench, Series One, Episode 4 (BBC Wales for BBC One Wales)
Brookside: Bullying storyline (Mersey Television for Channel 4)
Emmerdale: Zoe Tate's schizophrenia (Yorkshire Television for ITV1)

Category: Radio Drama
Voices in the Room (BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 4)
Scars (BBC Radio Drama for BBC Radio 4)
Other Voices (BBC Factual and Learning Radio for BBC Radio 4)

Category: Public Information Campaign
Surprise Yourself (BBC Radio Norfolk)
Mind Your Head (Carlton Television for Carlton Central and West Country)
Stress at Work (Anglia Action for Anglia Television)

Notes for Editors

1. For further details please contact Katie Brudenell or Kate Summerside on 020 7700 8171/8172

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

3. The 2002 Judges include:

Dorothy Byrne, Channel 4
Jane Drabble, OBE
Donna Franceschild, Writer
Roger Graef, Films of Record
Dr Vivien Lindow, Independent Researcher
Rufus May, Clinical Psychologist and Survivor
James McAteer, Media Trainer
Liz Main, Journalist and Survivor
Ian Mayes, The Guardian
Jenni Murray, Writer and Broadcaster
Dr Phil Thomas, Consultant Psychiatrist
Premila Trivedi, SIMBA (Share in Maudsley Black Action)

4. The Mental Health Media Awards, now in their 9th year recognise the best in reporting and portrayals of mental health issues.

5. Mental Health Media is a unique communications organisation which challenges discrimination around mental health by promoting the voice of mental health service users in all media.

6. Mental Health Media offers a range of video and new media training materials, provides media skills training courses, runs the annual Mental Health Media Awards and works with journalists and broadcasters to inform their coverage of mental health issues.

7. Mental Health Media can be contacted on 0207 700 8171.