Lunch Talk: Reporting and Writing on Mental Illness

In the name of speaking truth to power, journalists have long contributed to harmful narratives about mental health conditions and the people who seek and provide care for them. But times have changed, and in recent years there has been a general shift in mental health journalism, fueled by the arrival of a new generation of reporters who are much more comfortable with the realities of mental illness.

Even with more and better coverage, some thorny questions remain: How do you report and write on mental illness with care and compassion while also maintaining personal boundaries and professional distance? And where is the line between solutions journalism and advocacy?

Join Judith Warner (Journalism) in conversation with Erik Nook (Psychology) for this interdisciplinary lunch talk, presented by the Humanities Council’s Program in Journalism. These talks offer insight into the work of our distinguished visiting journalists, as they discuss their work and pressing issues of the day with University faculty from across disciplines.