At the 1973 Fall Meeting, the Committee on Public Information held a workshop on “Psychoanalysis and the Media Today.” Committee members and some twenty-five representatives of affiliate societies and institutes exchanged views with a media panel composed of Miss Jane Brody, Science Reporter for the New York Times, Mrs. Jean Dietz, Social Science Editor of the Boston Globe, and Mr. Robert L. Robinson, Editor of the American Psychiatric Association Psychiatric News. Dr. Jacob Swartz, Chairman of the Committee on Public Information, presided.
The exchanges were lively and illuminating. Miss Brody and Mrs. Dietz acknowledged that they do not
particularly differentiate psychoanalysts from psychiatrists, but in any event, find an opinion of little value if a psychoanalyst refuses to be identified. It is clear that activities of psychoanalysts are not “news.” Mr. Robinson receives some 2,000 clippings each week about psychiatrists from all over the country; about ninety-five percent of them are positive. Nevertheless, he chided the professions for the Goldwater incident, and for what he considered a timid stand by the American Psychoanalytic Association in the Fielding-Ellsberg confidentiality statement, and an even less inspiring action by the American Psychiatric Association. More important to him, however, are forthcoming issues of health insurance, peer review, and health care delivery. He expressed the hope that united and effective, rather than splintered and ineffective actions, would be taken by the professions.
Although the message derived from this media workshop is not very promising, the Committee on Public Information regards presenting psychoanalysis in a dignified way to the press as an important function. The Committee urges members to provide educational and corrective information whenever and wherever possible.