On the 7:00 evening news, anchor and managing editor Katie Couric led with the Lisa Nowak story. Mrs. Nowak is the astronaut who attacked a fellow astronaut who she thought to be a romantic rival. No issue, so far.
But, Ms. Couric’s lead was “We usually think of astronauts as intelligent and squeaky clean.” As opposed to?
It should be obvious that the woman suffers from mental illness. Her aberrant actions, perceptions and obsession plainly mark her. This does not preclude her from being intelligent or clean. Other media followed suit, portraying her in many ways, except as a sick person. By casting the disturbed in such a light, they discourage them from seeking the therapy they need to lead normal lives.
In the interest of full disclosure, I run a mental health therapy facility, and am concerned about the characterization of the multitude of people who suffer the illnesses. I do not believe that the media helps the perception.
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You're surprised that the media portrays something inaccurately? Or tries to spin something in a way to gather the most entertainment value, or to stir the pot to help ratings?
The television news is the WWF of "real" news. 'For entertainment purposes only'.
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