Public representatives
Lucy McGee - Director of Communications, West London Mental Health NHS Trust
It's impossible to underestimate the evocative power of the word 'Broadmoor' for the British public. It's loaded with symbolism and packs a powerful frisson. It pops up on Google as a metaphor for evil almost as often as it does described (wrongly) as a prison. The man in the street could grow old without learning that Broadmoor Hospital is respected globally as a leader in the treatment and research of serious and complex mental health problems.
Challenging inaccurate or unfair reporting in the media is an aspect of the PCC's role that we've valued. It has helped us secure redress many times for thoughtless, misinformed or sloppy coverage about Broadmoor Hospital and mental illness in general, and even for downright bigotry. PCC advice is always prompt, balanced and pragmatic.
More than this, what's characterised the partnership that we at West London Mental Health Trust have experienced is proactivity. Recognising that language is just a symptom, the PCC has supported us in the long game of anti-stigma, too: educating journalists about the facts of mental health and the institutions that treat it.
This matters because the young men who come to us at Broadmoor Hospital are not new to psychiatric ill-health. Their usually already difficult lives have been complicated by it for years. But the shame and stigma attached to mental illness (exacerbated by ill-informed, or, worse, discriminatory representation of it in the media) have prevented them from seeking help, locking them in a terrible trajectory towards personal disaster
Through mediation, promotion of best practice, helpful introductions and informative seminars, the PCC tries to show that fidelity to press freedom doesn't have to mean infringing someone else's, and nor does the complex truth about mental health make for a less compelling story.
Some institutions are likely to be the subject of considerable media attention on a regular basis. High-secure Broadmoor Hospital is one example and it is perhaps unsurprising that it has developed a close working relationship with the PCC, especially in recent times, as it seeks to tackle reporting that is inaccurate or misleading. By working with the PCC to resolve complaints amicably and without rancour, Broadmoor Hospital - like other newsworthy organisations - has been able to raise levels of understanding about its work.
Reporting of mental illness is a subject on which the PCC has focused heavily over the last few years and it is an area of reporting which has arguably seen a significant improvement as a consequence. In 2010, we co-hosted with Shift and the Royal College of Psychiatrists a hugely successfulevent, at which we brought together mental health professionals and media representatives to discuss a range of sensitive issues. You can read more about the event here. The PCC's guidance on reporting mental health issues can be seen here.
‒ Press Complaints Commission