Mental Health America 2008 Media Awards Recognize Excellence in Mental Health Journalism

                                            Contact:  Jason Halal, (703) 797-1943 or jhalal@mentalhealthamerica.net

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 6, 2008) - Mental Health America will honor twelve professional and student journalists for outstanding coverage of mental health issues tomorrow at a Media Awards luncheon held during its Inaugural Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Summit in Washington, D.C.

"The Media Awards bring together the very best mental health stories in print and broadcast media during 2007," said Mental Health America President and CEO, David Shern, Ph.D.  "Informative and thought-provoking journalism is a powerful form of education and we applaud these journalists for helping shape public understanding of these critical issues." 

Mental Health America 2008 Media Awards winners include:

• Local Television
  WTHR (Indianapolis, IN), "Help Me, I'm Dying," by Anne Marie Tiernon
  
  
• National Television
  Keeping Kids Healthy/WNET (New York, NY), "Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia - A Life Interrupted," by Susan Berger Sabreen, Rich Sabreen, Anja Baron and A. Thomas Tebbens
  
  
• Local Radio
  WNYC (New York, NY), "Cities Embrace New Ways to Handle Confrontations Between Cops and the Mentally Ill," by Arun Venugopal
  
• Advice Columns
  The Palm Beach Post, "Kicking Depression" Weekly Column, by Christine Stapleton
  
  
• Local/Regional Magazines
  Dallas Child, "Diagnosing Joey: Unraveling the Mysteries of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder," by Jenny B. Davis and Shelley Hawes Pate
  
  
• National Magazines
  Ladies' Home Journal, "Broken Promise," by David France and Diane Salvatore
  
  
• Newspapers with a Circulation Below 100,000
  East Valley Tribune (Phoenix, AZ), "Pam's Story," by Mary K. Reinhart and Patti Epler
  
  
• Newspapers with a Circulation Above 100,000
  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Hidden Shame" Series, by Alan Judd and Andy Miller
  
  
• Students Journalism
  Columbia Missourian/Associated Press, "Looking for a Way Home," by Jennifer Whitney
  
  
• Photo Essay
  The Los Angeles Times, "Breakdown: A Family's Struggle with Mental Illness," by Robert Gauthier
  
  
• National Reporting
  The Nation, Series on the "Personality Disorder" Scandal, by Joshua Kors
  
  
• Timely Coverage of a Mental Health Issue
  The Wall Street Journal, "The Price of Privacy" Series, by Elizabeth Bernstein and John Blanton

A volunteer judging panel of media professionals selected the winning entries for their educational value, outstanding quality, comprehensiveness and creativity in addressing timely issues in mental health.  Members of this year's panel represent such reputable media outlets as CNN, National Journal, The Nation's Health, U.S. News & World Report and Voice of America. 

Mental Health America's Inaugural Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Summit is being held June 6-7, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  The two-day event, held during Mental Health America's 2008 Conference, brings together the foremost leaders in the field to explore the latest in promotion and prevention science and set a course for promoting wellness in individuals, communities and the nation at large. 

Get Ready for the 2009 Media Awards!

The Mental Health America 2009 Media Awards competition will honor reporting and portrayals of mental health issues in news and features stories, on national, state local and student levels and in print, online and broadcast media.  Mental Health America will distribute nomination guides in early 2009.  To sign up for our mailing list, please email mediaawards@mentalhealthamerica.net.

Mental Health America is the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives.  With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, we represent a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation - everyday and in times of crisis.

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