Alyssa Sinko

Annotated Bibliography
Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric
Dr. McLaughlin
11/4/14

Abstract
I would like to analyze the differences between the presentations of mental illness in
news media compared to that in primetime television. I will be mainly focusing on the
show Law and Order and television news broadcasting. I will prove that the depictions in
the prime time television show, Law and Order, are more favorable to mental illness due
to its view of the why of violence associated to mental illness. In the famous Law &
Order format of two halves, the first half [] mimick(s) the focus of news coverage
with its emphasis on the investigation of fact, whereas the second half moved beyond the
realms of typical journalism and asked questions about why an individual committed a
crime and to what extent the society in which s/he lived was responsible for those
actions, (Gans and Wardle). This why refers to the story behind the mentally ill
person, which includes the family and friends of the person, and the effects of the illness
they suffer. This background information helps the mentally ill person be sympathized
with, which never occurs in news media.

Annotated Bibliography
Gans, Rachel. and Wardle, Claire. "Mad or Bad? Negotiating the Boundaries of
Mental Illness on Law & Order" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the
International Communication Association, Marriott Hotel, San Diego, CA, May
27, 2003.
This author is has a masters degree from University of Pennsylvania in the field
of communications and a masters degree form NYU in communications and
media. She therefore is considered a credible source in the subject of media and
communication. This source analyzes the depiction of mental illness in the show
Law and Order. Law and Order is a good example because it is a show that is
played daily on the Showtime network and likely has a large population has been
exposed to the show. Her audience is TV critics and media analysts because she is
proving the importance of ripped form the headlines shows such as Law and
Order. It is our belief that the format of ripped from the headlines programs such
as Law & Order use narrative, drama, and emotion to provide a new and
important space in which society can negotiate definitions and attitudes about
different social and political issues, (Gans and Wardle). An example of a topic
that is used in the show is mental illness because Law and Order provides the
why mentally ill commit crimes through narration and conversation, which

humanizes the mentally ill. This humanization is not currently used in news media
and therefore negotiate(s) definitions of mental illness.
Wahl, Otto F. (2003). News media portrayal of mental illness:
Implications for public policy. The American Behavioral Scientist, 46(12), 1594.
The author of this source is an expert on mental illness. He has written multiple
papers in the scientific journals in the fields of psychology and behavioral studies.
Therefore he is a credible source. The intended audience for this paper is those
involved in the dispensing of information through the news broadcasting. This
source gives examples of newspaper headlines that display the mental illness
stigma, along with statistics from their studies they created which show the
increasingly negative nature of the associations made in news papers with the
mentally ill, for example violence. There is also included a study of peoples
reactions to a mental hospital after viewing a media article on mental illness and
violence which proves the stigma. I will use this source as statistical evidence that
newspaper do in fact increase stigmas on mental health and I will also use this
source as a background to the news media broadcasting of mental illness.
Wahl, Otto F. "Mass Media Images Of Mental Illness: A Review Of The Literature."
Journal Of Community Psychology 20.4 (1992): 343-352. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
This source is by the same author as the previous source, Otto Wahl. The multiple
relevant sources once again prove his reliability and his expertise in the field of
social and behavioral psychology. Otto Wahls intended audience of this paper is
once again the media experts, since he is speaking of reform in the way in which
media is presented when about mental illness. This source is primarily about the
way in which media images and the presentation of media stories impact peoples
thoughts. The evidence in this paper support the belief that media images have a
strong impact on peoples thoughts, and therefore I will conclude that media
images of mental illness, which are depicted negatively, increase the stigma
associated with mental illness. Otto Wahls paper also analyzes multiple studies
performed by experts in psychology and media on the medias influence on
peoples thoughts, which will be useful in my paper as statistical evidence.
Diefenbach, Donald L. "The Portrayal of Mental Illness on Prime-time Television."
Journal of Community Psychology 25.3 (1997): 289-302. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
Donald L. Diefenbach is the chair of mass media studies at the University of
North Carolina Asheville and has written books on media. Therefore he is a
credible source. His intended audience is the TV producers and experts in media
analysis because he is pointing out the flaws in the way that television media are
portraying mental illness. This source will be helpful for me because it provides a
plethora of statistical evidence to support the assertion that the stigma of mental
illness is increased through television. This gives a new perspective to the article

on the affect of the news on mental illness stigma because this article focuses
solely on television. I will use this source to prove mental illness stigmas are
increased on television as it is in news broadcasting, but will also contrast this
evidence to ripped from the headlines shows like Law and Order. Just like news
articles, the mentally ill are portrayed as violent, but once again the why
perspective is not shown, which humanizes the mentally ill.
Friedman, Richard A. "Media and madness: for better and worse, the news media and
entertainment industry shape public opinion about mental illness." The American
Prospect 19.7 (2008): A2+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.
This author, Richard Friedman, is a psychiatrist and professor at a medical school
so he is therefore a credible source on mental illness. This source is intended for
people without a background in science of mental illness because it speaks of the
basics of the problem. For example, it gives basic statistics about general
knowledge mental illness such as, An estimated 46 percent of American adults
experience some type of diagnosable mental illness or substance-abuse disorder
during their lifetime, (Friedman). This statistic shows the widespread effect of
mental illness on the general public that is unknown to most people. I will use
facts like this from the paper to give a background on mental illness in the United
States. The author also speaks on possibilities to decrease the stigma associated
with mental illness through celebrities speaking out on their battles with mental
illness and also news stories about the friends and families of those affected with
mental illness. Writing stories about friends and families of those fighting mental
illnesses is a way that Law and Order treats mental illness and therefore this
source supports my claim that the why decreases mental illness stigma.
Byrne, Peter. "Stigma of Mental Illness and Ways of Diminishing it." Advances in
psychiatric treatment 6.1 (2000): 65-72. Print.
Peter Byrne has written multiple articles on topics similar to diminishing stigmas
of mental illness and is also a psychiatrist. Therefore his opinions on
psychological matters are valid. He speaks about what a stigma is in general,
saying, Stigma is defined as a sign of disgrace or discredit, which sets a person
apart from others, (Byrne). He then takes this definition a step further by
discussing stigmas in terms of mental illness. I will use this section as background
information in my paper. He also discusses the importance of diminishing stigmas
of mental illness. This will help me show the importance of my paper. He speaks
of the effects of stigmas such as losing your job, saying, It is about humiliating
and devaluating experiences, and these play an important part in relapses of
depression, (Byrne). Depression and suicide are many symptoms of mental
illness and the stigma further distinguishes this symptom.