AbstractContent analysis of 83 newspaper articles from February 1991 to January 1993 was the chosen method to determine the role of newspapers in the portrayal of the mentally ill.Two emergent themes arose: the closure of a mental health hospital was viewed negatively; and the stereotypical perception of the mentally ill as violent and unpredictable was reinforced. Over the two year period of the study the shift in focus from the ideology of de-institutionalisation, funding issues, crisis and chaos in the mental health hospital eventuated in an emphasis on the negativity associated with mental illness.