StigmaWatch received a number of reports about an article in The Age newspaper which centered on the mental health of Sean Price, on trial for the murder of Masa Vukotic.
The article, Masa Vukotic murder trial: Sean Price was a mental health time bomb , quoted an anonymous source who commented on Price's health in the lead up to the killing.
One StigmaWatcher was concerned that 'there is no qualification given to the validity or authority of these comments- comments do not arise from psychiatric assessments and are attributed only to 'a person familiar with his case'.
Also that the article 'unfairly infers that individuals with mental health issues, social and personal problems are an inevitable danger to the community.'
In the past SANE has urged the media and general public to be mindful of making the assumption of a mental illness in cases of violent or criminal behaviour.
However it's often the case in court reporting that certain information is supressed in the media until a certain date.
When StigmaWatch investigated the reports by contacting the journalist who wrote the story, Michael Bachelard, he explained this to be the case.
'The source was anonymous at their request, which was made because in this case they decided to speak in the public interest, which conflicted with other obligations they had. Journalists are required to respect a source's anonymity in all circumstances once it's been granted. I have personally vouched for the source's expertise, and level of knowledge in this case. That knowledge, and the "diagnosis" I reported was subsequently backed up by the release of court documents that include a reference to a psychiatric report by Dr Douglas Bell,' Bachelard says.
Readers who reported to StigmaWatch felt the type of language used by the anonymous source stigmatised those living with a mental illness.
'[The sources'] language was not entirely precise -- a fact The Age acknowledged in a clarification as soon as it was drawn to our attention and verified,' Bachelard says.
'I appreciate that this is a very emotive area, where a good deal of careful consideration should be given to how we approach our reporting. Journalists need feedback, most particularly negative feedback, to keep us honest, and I will take these comments on board when I am reporting further on Sean Price, and on these issues generally. I had no intention of smearing anyone in the general community who suffers from mental health issues, nor from any of the specific conditions that have been associated with Sean Price.'
You can read subsequent reporting of the case in The Age online.
