[Psychiatry in local newspapers]

The media influences public opinion. Although it can provide objective information, it can also create prejudices. For the first time German local newspapers were examined with respect to HOW and HOW OFTEN they use psychiatric terminology.

All newspapers of the East German Altmark were analyzed with respect to their usage of selected psychiatric terms for a period of one year. None of these newspapers could be described as tabloids or as predominantly sensation-seeking. For comparative purposes, our chosen methodology was similar to that of an earlier study of respected, German, internationally-read print media.

In 14 % of the newspapers studied, at least one term of the predefined psychiatric vocabulary appeared. A negative context was common (45 %), but for the most part this was in crime-related articles supplied by press agencies. In contrast with reputable, German language newspapers with a nationwide or international audience, in purely local reports, a negative context was rare, and no alienating usage of preselected psychiatric terms was found.

Local editorial teams seem to be closer to - and perhaps better informed about - regional psychiatric institutions. Hence, they can provide the public with more factual information. For this reason, anti-stigma mental health campaigns will likely be more effective when carried out using local media, as opposed to nationwide or even international media.