Combine one part sensationalism, one part unfortunate tragedy, one part over-simplification, and stir until just moistened. Bake at 450 degrees on an ungreased news media outlet for one hour. Serve warm.

It's unfortunate but mainstream journalism is just as much entertainment as anything else. The above recipe gets better ratings than any serious examination of the issues.

You know, this type of headline bothers me, but for different reasons. It's the reaction of the people who DON'T like the headline because they have mental illness that say it isn't like that and they get all pissed off. The fact is, there are people with severe mental illness who do horrible things. I mean, it's almost like we should have "normal mental illness" and "abnormal mental illness."

It's like saying doing a show on people with diabetes that require insulin and leg amputations is not the REAL diabetes and doesn't capture the reality of diabetes. There are in fact people who don't have severe diabetes and who don't even require insulin and never get close to requiring amputations - and that is the norm. However, some diabetics have severe diabetes and require insulin and have serious circulatory problems and wound healing difficulties to the point that they develop gangrene and require amputations.

Dunno. Just my two cents. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Cristina.

Cristina you know the insulin story comparison to psych drugs is a lie right?

There are no chemical imbalances being fixed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OVNiLKjMME

Secondly what any rational person objects to in the CNN report, is the prejudgeing of all mentally ill as very likely being dangerous criminals.

This CNN report is promoting the idea to help the mentally ill before they commit crime.

Help being forced medication/drugging.
This is preventative justice. You haven't commited a crime-but-we-think-you-will so "take" this magical medicine that will stop you from thinking evil criminal thoughts.

First part of the story was to talk of the mentally ill in prison. This had nothing to do with the mentally ill, it had to do with mismanagement and injustice in the justice system.

Second part was on controlling the outpatient , seeing them(the homeless and poor) as a mental patient first(needing medicine) then maybe a human being.
anyways....

speaking of media regression, check out this line from the WaPo review of the rerelease of "Red Dawn":

"Soviet paranoia obviously has disappeared since the Reagan era, but the idea that America could be invaded by outside forces? That seems more conceivable now than it was back then."

As a media pro, do you have any idea what the heck they could be talking about? Mexicans? 1 million strong Jihadi occupation of Michigan? Or something more likely, like space invaders?

Thanks for the article and for writing a response. I couldn't find it on the link? But am just as outraged. If i can gather my thoughts, I'll send a letter too.Nless you for all you do.