The Great Recession is technically over, but in many communities, people are still reeling from months of unemployment and financial struggle. There are stories to be told — if journalists can find them. Many people are reluctant to talk about their problems, and ethics standards prevent psychologists and health-care providers from referring their patients to reporters.
In a live chat on Poynter.org, I talked with Nancy Molitor, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University, and Medill professor Bill Handy about how reporters can uncover these stories.
We discussed:
- How have economic woes affected mental health issues?
- How has economic stress affected different groups, such as stay-at-home moms, students, high-income professionals and men?
- How can you find people struggling with these conditions?
- What are the best ways to tell these stories?
- Where can journalists find research to back up the personal stories?
- What stories should journalists look out for over the next couple of years?
This chat was conducted in conjunction with a Specialized Reporting Institute on the Recession and Mental Health, sponsored by the McCormick Foundation.
