Media Advisory Service

Media portrayals and reporting of mental illness are incredibly powerful in educating and influencing the public.

If you work in the media and are planning a story that involves mental health then we are here to help.

We can offer a variety of support, from advice over the correct use of language, to in-depth consultation over characters and scripts. Some of the services we offer are:

consultation and advice on scripts and storylines for programmes in development, including fact checking
case studies about people with direct experience of mental health problems to inform script and programme development
workshops, training and seminars on mental health reporting
information and guidance on best practice for anyone working in the media.

Contact us to find out more:

Jenni Regan - Senior Media Advisor
Email: j.regan@time-to-change.org.uk
Tel: 020 8215 2359

How is mental health currently portrayed in the media?

currently almost a third of national newspaper coverage about mental health focuses on violence and homicides
1 in 4 people say their belief in a link between mental illness and violence has come from TV and film.
in drama and soaps a recent study found that 63% of references to mental health were pejorative, flippant or unsympathetic.

What are the aims of the Media Advisory Service:

improve the quality, accuracy and sensitivity of reporting about people with mental health problems.
reduce the number of news items that link violence with mental health problems
include the views of people with mental health problems more frequently
increase the number of authentic and sensitive fictional portrayals of people with mental health problems.

Find out more