With hundreds of media articles written every day about a wide variety of health topics, one particular subject stands out as tremendously popular. That subject is mental health. Be it requests for comments about depression, anxiety, ADHD, parenting, relationships, and sleep, to name a few, and opportunity is vast for psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other mental health professions. In our many years of providing public relations support for doctors and wellness experts, we see the demand every day for expert commentary about mental health topics and have had wonderful success promoting our mental health clients to journalists as thought leaders and experts in their fields.
Journalists seek comments from mental health experts for several reasons. These comments help provide insight, education, depth, accuracy, and a well-rounded perspective to their reporting. In every media article at least one expert is quoted. It’s a basic element in journalism to include expert commentary in articles. Here’s why:
First. Experts add credibility and accuracy about a particular subject. Mental health experts are able to provide scientifically backed insights, which lend credibility to articles. They can also add direct experience and examples from their clinical work. This is especially important for sensitive topics like depression, anxiety, trauma, or mental illness.
Second. Mental health experts can add context and explanation for media articles. They can help explain complex psychological phenomena in a way that is accessible to a general audience, making a media story more informative.
Third. Including comments from experts in articles about mental health conditions and issues that many people face can help to reduce the stigma associated with these issues. Including expert opinions can challenge stereotypes and promote understanding, which is crucial when addressing mental health topics. Ideally, the more educated people become about mental health issues the more compassionate and supportive they can be. It can also help with early identification of a person dealing with a mental health issue.
Fourth. Input from experts for articles involving mental health can help to improve ethical reporting. Sometimes sensational stories in the media can falsely portray a person or situation. This kind of dramatization can misrepresent an individual and/or issue. Journalists rely on experts to ensure that their reporting is responsible and does not harm readers or individuals mentioned in a particular story.
Fifth. Experts can often provide a nuanced perspective, explaining a behavior by connecting individual stories to broader societal, cultural, or systemic factors, helping readers grasp the bigger picture. This can help journalists and readers humanize complex issues.
Sixth. Journalists consult experts to understand the potential impact of their coverage on vulnerable readers and to prevent harm. For example, reporting on suicide or self-harm often includes guidelines to avoid triggering copycat behavior.
In total, while personal anecdotes are compelling and a necessary part of journalism, expert input adds a level of objectivity and prevents stories from becoming overly subjective or emotional.