Mind Media Awards 2014: Open for entries
The Mind Media Awards, which celebrates the best examples of reporting and portrayals of mental health in print, broadcast and digital media, opens for entries today (Wednesday 16 April).
The event,organised by the mental health charity Mind, invites journalists, broadcasters and production teams to submit work which has helped to raise awareness of mental health problems and tackle outdated stereotypes.
Last year Mind received a record number of entries to its Media Awards. Winners in 2013 included Newsnight’s feature on postpartum psychosis, BBC One drama series The Village and comedian Jon Richardson’s Channel 4 documentary ‘A little bit OCD’.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “We are pleased to see more and more journalists, documentary makers and script writers working hard to create sensitive and compelling material about people experiencing mental health problems. It’s vital this continues because people’s views are shaped by what they see on TV, read in print or view online. The media is a vital mouthpiece to combat stigma and discrimination for the 1 in 4 people who experience mental health problems each year.”
“This year we are looking for programmes, blogs and news reports which challenge myths, misinformation and clichés about mental health, encourage positive debate and tackle stigma and discrimination. It’s important that audiences are able to see people with mental health problems as they are as a whole – rather than just in relation to their diagnosis – and we’re keen to see work that includes the voices of people who have experienced mental health problems.”
Winners will be announced at a celebratory event at the BFI on Monday 17 November which will bring together celebrities, industry professionals and people who have shared their personal experiences through the media.
The ten categories at this year’s Mind Media Awards are:
- Factual TV - Full length documentaries or compilations of excerpts from series that observe and report real life situations and stories. This might include observational ‘fly on the wall’ formats.
- Entertainment - TV programmes that cover mental health within an entertainment or scripted reality format including entertainment magazine and chat show formats. It may be awarded for an individual programme or for a compilation of shorter excerpts taken from a series or strand.
- News and current affairs - A news item, or current affairs feature, or item with a news ‘hook’, from a bulletin or magazine style programme from TV, radio or online.
- Radio - Factual, drama or docu-drama radio programme. Compilations from a magazine programme will also be considered.
- Drama - A single drama or drama series transmitted on TV. If one programme from a series is entered, it should be accompanied by a synopsis of the other episodes to provide judges with context.
- Soaps and continuing series - A TV or radio ‘soap’ transmitted twice or more each week continuously for at least six months of the year. Alternatively, a continuing drama series where stand-alone storylines conclude within each episode but the main characters continue throughout the series. Entries may be one episode (but should be accompanied by a synopsis of the other episodes to provide judges with context) or a compilation from a number of episodes following a single story line.
- Blogger - A blogger or vlogger, originating in the UK, who has embraced digital media to raise awareness about mental health issues or to support the mental health community. Entries should include evidence of reach and impact. There is no charge to enter this category.
- Publication - A magazine, newspaper or website for a campaign or series of features that raise awareness of mental health problems. This excludes specialist publications written specifically for the health or mental health professions.
- Journalist - An individual journalist (print, broadcast or online) who has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of mental health issues. Entries may be an individual article or a body of work. There is no charge to enter this category.
- Student Journalist - An individual student journalist (print, broadcast or online) for a contribution to university or college media targeted at students or for a piece of journalism completed as part of a university course. There is no charge to enter this category.
To be eligible for the Mind Media Awards, programmes or articles must have been transmitted or published in the UK, or have been available online between 9 June 2013 and 9 June 2014. The deadline for entries is Friday 27th June 2014.