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Working sensitively
It is essential to behave sensitively when working with vulnerable and excluded groups.
When working with people who have, or are experiencing, mental distress, it is important to be non-judgemental and open-minded - for instance it is often not appropriate to give "helpful" advice when it is not asked for. People are experts on their own mental distress and everyone’s experience is very individual. Many are distrustful of media, having been misportrayed by television, radio or the tabloid press in the past. To earn trust you should ensure that their stories and messages are not distorted by indiscriminate editing, misreporting and opinionated voiceover. You should not focus on the "sensational" in your reporting.
When working with people with learning difficulties try to be as clear as possible. This might involve producing the production documentation in plain English with a large (18pt) simple typeface such as Arial, Helvetica or Comic Sans and often with small simple descriptive pictures which assist the understanding.
Some of these ideas make all the difference to your working relationship with your subject:
• Allow some editorial control/input to your subjects
• Pay a small fee within allowed rates for those on benefit
• Stop a shoot if you think it’s causing distress or is unsafe.
• Take extra care to explain what you’re doing, why, who it’s
for
• Use ‘adaptable’ release forms with exception clauses
that contributors can fill in, or film a verbal consent
• Send an interview prep sheet to interviewees in advance so they
know what to expect.
• Invite them to join you for lunch.
• Come prepared with refreshments – not just the filming kit.
• Try to involve support workers and/or chief carers and advocates
where this is appropriate and requested.
Some handy tips around what makes a good programme about mental health including what constitutes responsible and challenging portrayal can be found under ‘Criteria’ in our Mental Health Media Awards site. The Samaritans also produce media guidelines for the portrayal of suicide.