NSUN has published a new report exploring the experiences of people with lived experience of mental ill-health, distress or trauma when engaging with the media.
‘Not Just a Story: The media’s engagement with people with lived experience of mental ill-health, distress or trauma’ sets out the ways in which the media and its journalists are consistently failing to genuinely and supportively engage with people with lived experience and sensitively represent their so-called ‘stories’.
People with lived experience of mental ill-health are often motivated to share their experiences with the media because of a desire to raise awareness, provide representation of lesser-platformed experiences, and advocate to improve the experiences of others. However, even when it might aim to spotlight injustice, provide activists and ‘experts by experience’ with a platform, or challenge the status quo, the media’s approach to extracting and sharing deeply personal and often painful or traumatic parts of peoples’ lives can cause harm.
Our research found that:
- The long-term implications of taking part in public media engagement work are a key concern.
- While being asked to share experiences with the media can feel validating, it can also enforce a sense of obligation to disclose painful experiences for a ‘good cause’.
- People often feel tokenised when engaging with the media.
- People experience a lack of clarity and guidance when engaging with the media.
- Limited control is offered over the process of engagement.
- There is a lack of consideration around support and access needs for both Disabled and/or neurodivergent people undertaking media engagement work.
- Participants are usually uncompensated for media work.
At the end of the report, we share guidance for people with lived experience who are considering engaging with the media, as well as guidance for journalists about how to improve their approach.