Gaane urges media to champion mental health, calls on responsible reporting

COUNCILOR Paolo Nicolo Gaane, chair of the City Council committee on health, called on journalists and media organizations to play a stronger role in breaking the stigma around mental health and to adopt responsible reporting practices—especially when covering suicide.

This was emphasized by the councilor during the public forum on “The Role of Media in Mental Health”, hosted by the city through the City Information Office headed by Mr. Jade Adeser that brought together mass communication students, campus journalists, content creators, and members of the press to strengthen awareness and promote responsible communication on mental health.

Councilor Gaane said that media are the powerful influence over public understanding of mental health issues and should use that influence to promote accurate information.

For her part, Psychosocial Unit Head Ms Rio Rosal Baliling of the City Social Welfare and

Development (CSWD) also discussed the role of media in mental health. She shared some tips to media who may witness traumatic incidents, and cope after exposure to traumatic events while continuing their work.

The activity aims to build a partnership between the city and media practitioners, recognizing that they are one of the primary sources of information for the public.

It also seeks to prevent situations where media outlets publish articles that could traumatize or negatively affect individuals with mental health concerns. (JBD/SP)