Look Again – Season 6, Episode 6  
Released: June 3rd, 2026 | Approx. 25 minutes 

When a tragedy makes headlines, many of us who work in and around mental health hold our breath. 

We wait to see how the story will be told. We watch for the language that gets used, the connections that get drawn, and the assumptions that get made – often before the facts are even confirmed.  

And too often, we see the same patterns repeat themselves: mental illness mentioned early, context provided late, and stigma quietly reinforced along the way. 

In the sixth and final episode of Season 6 of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined, we explore how the media depicts mental illness and why that portrayal matters deeply to the families and communities living with its consequences. 

Sitting Down with Kathryn Gretsinger 

This episode features a conversation with Kathryn Gretsinger, an Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Journalism and a longtime broadcaster with the CBC.  

With decades of experience training emerging journalists and a career built on ethics, accountability, and trauma-informed storytelling, Kathryn brings both expertise and candor to one of the most important conversations in mental health advocacy. 

Her message is clear: the way we talk about mental illness in the media is not neutral. Language, framing, and the stories we choose to tell — or not tell — shape how the public understands severe mental illness, and how much space exists for the people living with it and the families who love them. 

One of the most persistent and harmful patterns Kathryn identifies is the equation between mental illness and violence; an association that is made quickly, repeated often, and rarely challenged with evidence. As she puts it, falling into narratives that are false and often very harmful is a problem that requires active, ongoing resistance. 

What Families and Caregivers Should Know 

For the caregivers and family members listening, this episode offers something important: language and context for the frustration many of you already feel when you see your loved one’s experience reduced to a headline. 

Kathryn also speaks to the progress that has been made. Canadian journalism has evolved meaningfully in how it approaches mental health reporting. There are journalists, educators, and outlets actively working to do better, to slow down, ask harder questions, and prioritize understanding over impact. That progress is real, and it is worth acknowledging. 

But as Kathryn reminds us, every major tragedy risks sliding back into old patterns. Staying informed, asking questions, and pushing back on harmful narratives (whether in the news or in everyday conversation) is something all of us can do. 

A Note on Media Literacy 

Kathryn also speaks directly to audiences about how to navigate today’s media landscape, especially when stories involving mental illness and violence are moving quickly.  

Her advice is grounding: go back to the source, ask how you know what you think you know, and be particularly skeptical of anything reported in the early hours of a breaking story. 

For families already navigating the weight of serious mental illness, knowing how to read and question media coverage is a quiet but meaningful form of self-protection. 

Episode 6 invites listeners, families, caregivers, and community members alike to Look Again at the stories being told about mental illness — and to ask whether those stories are doing justice to the people they claim to be about. 

Who This Episode Is For 

Episode 6 invites listeners, families, caregivers, and mental health professionals to Look Again at the stories being told about mental illness, and to ask whether those stories are doing justice to the people they claim to be about. 

🎧 Listen to BCSS S06E06: Setting the Story Straight: Mental Illness in the News 

 — Part of Look Again Season 6 — available wherever you get your podcasts.