Since the Tucson catastrophe, the mass media have largely been ignoring the perspective of groups run by mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors, despite many news articles and opinion pieces discussing mental health. Meanwhile, these same media have quoted extremist E. Fuller Torrey and supporters of his group Treatment Advocacy Center, the main organization promoting more forced psychiatric drugging as the main solution for mental and emotional problems in the USA.

 

E. Fuller Torrey: One of main opponents of human rights of mental health consumers & psychiatric survivorsMindFreedom has already reported about how mainstream media are ignoring a key perspective after the Tucson tragedy: The perspective of groups of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. You can read the article here, as well as my earlier blog about the topic here.

Meanwhile, the same big media ignoring the voice of mental health clients, has been lapping up the simplistic hate speech of E. Fuller Torrey and his extremist group Treatment Advocacy Center, who is pushing a forced drugging agenda that is universally opposed by all mental health consumer and psychiatric survivor groups.

I’ve been encouraging people to contact media, since the only media I’ve seen quoting anyone in our movement — moderate or radical — has been Boston Globe. (Anyone have another example?) And there are a few other possibilities.

But in the meantime….

It’s quite a huge sweep for D. Fuller Torrey’s group Treatment Advocacy Center, as they exploit the Arizona shooting with big media coverage.

Tonight, 22 January 2011, I noticed  CBS-TV news did a report about use of prisons/jails for people diagnosed with psychiatric problems. There on the screen was a graphic promoting the Treatment Advocacy Center’s logo, citing it as the source regarding blaming deinstitutionalization for many of our society’s mental and emotional problems.

I had already noticed one of the New York Times main conservative columnists (David Brooks) quoting Torrey as “the answer”…..

I’ve mentioned to members about a Newsweek cover story that matter of factly quotes made up statistics by Torrey about our constituency’s alleged “violence” rate….

So (ugh!) I took a look at Treatment Advocacy Center web page just now.

And sure enough TAC is experiencing a hate-speech avalanche of mass media coverage…

Here’s the current list from TAC’s home page….. as they continue to exploit the Arizona tragedy with their bumper sticker simplistic solution:

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From Treatment Advocacy Center Home Page on both 22 and 26 January 2011

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After Arizona – Headline news featuring the Treatment Advocacy Center

  1. CBS Evening News: Role of Mental Illness in Tucson Shooting Unclear – with Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  2. CNN: Was Tucson Gunman Mentally Ill? – with Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  3. CNN: Living With Schizophrenia – with Dr. Fred Frese
  4. CNN: Examining Mental Illness in America – with Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  5. PBS NewsHour: In Loughner Case, Missed Signalsand a Troubled Mental Past – panel discussion with policy director Brian Stettin
  6. National Review: A Lesson from Loughner – editorial
  7. New York Daily News: Arizona Massacre’s Real Lesson – by policy director Brian Stettin
  8. New York Times: Red Flags at a College, but Tied Hands – news quoting Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  9. New York Times: The Politicized Mind – columnist David Brooks quoting Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  10. Reuters: Before Tucson Rampage, a Powerful Law Went Unused – news quoting board member Jon Stanley
  11. Time magazine: If You Think Someone is Mentally Ill: Loughner’s Six Warning Signs – analysis quoting the Treatment Advocacy Center
  12. USA Today: Time to Mandate Reporting of Mental Health Concerns – co-authored by board member Dr. Jeffrey Geller
  13. USA Today: Arizona Aftermath – editorial with comments by deputy executive director Rosanna Esposito
  14. Wall Street Journal: A Predictable Tragedy in Arizona– op-ed by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  15. Wall Street Journal: Loughner’s Sickness – editorial with reference to Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  16. WashingtonPost.com: Tucson Shooting: The Mental State of Jared Lee Loughner – live chat with legislative counsel Kristina Ragosta
  17. Washington Post: Others Could Have Sought Evaluation for Arizona Suspect – news quoting policy director Brian Stettin
  18. San Diego Union Tribune: How San Diego County Can Respond to Tragedy in Tucson – op-ed by board member Carla Jacobs
  19. The Current on CBC Radio: Dangerously Mentally Ill – with Dr. E. Fuller Torrey
  20. Madeleine Brand on Southern California Public Radio:Shooter’s Rampage, Parent’s Nightmare – with parent Nick Wilcox