Romania

In 2007, the Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, Center for Independent Journalism in Bucharest, began awarding two fellowships each year to journalists in Romania. While the initiative is no longer active, it left a lasting impact by strengthening mental health coverage and reducing stigma through the work of Romanian journalists.

Impact

Equipped journalists with tools to report on mental health issues more effectively in their communities.

Legacy

Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism

How it Started

The mental health journalism fellowships program was founded in 1996 by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter based on an essential premise: to give journalists the resources they need to report on mental health — one of the world’s most underreported health issues — and help dismantle through storytelling the stigma and discrimination that millions of people face every day.

The fellowship program expanded into Romania in 2007 to support Romania’s efforts to address public health and press freedom goals necessary for membership in the European Union. One of the goals was to improve the treatment of mental illnesses.

Our Work and Methods

The primary goal is to increase accurate reporting on mental health issues and decrease incorrect information and negative stereotypes.
Twelve Romanian journalists receive stipends to travel to the U.S. and study topics related to mental health with experts and other fellows.

Impacts

The 12 Romanian journalists who participated in the fellowship program went home and pursued a range of topics, including how people with mental illnesses are contributing to their communities.
Erasing stigma and discrimination helps to increase opportunities.

This project is no longer active in Romania.