[From the person to an isolated case: Frank Schmökel in the discourses of power and stigmatization].
OBJECTIVE
Representations of psychiatry in the media reflect the societal perception of psychiatries. These representations are influential in terms of society and health politics in that the societal perception of psychiatry is determined by the media, and the media convey what is thinkable and sayable.


METHODS
A formal textual analysis, employing a discoursive analytical method (M. Foucault), will be carried out based on the concrete example of the daily coverage of the case of Frank Schmökel.


RESULTS
It will be demonstrated that the means by which the media sketched an image of Frank Schmökel left little understanding for the person and his action. Schmökel was exposed to a sphere of control which arose from various competing discourses. The crystallization of the participating discourses (psychiatry, law, publicity) in power shows, in addition to repeated stigmatization and the generation of clichés, the isolation of the individual: the person Frank Schmökel is made into an isolated case.


CONCLUSIONS
Images of this type are quickly generalized and lead to a public image of psychiatry (psychiatries) that distort reality. Such conveyance of opinion is amazingly influential in terms of societal politics and health politics, and has repercussions in law and politics.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nuremberg, Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin, Erlangen. Florian.steger@gesch.med.uni-erlangen.de
Florian
F
Steger
D000328:Adult; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005858:Germany; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D008297:Male; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011287:Prejudice; D011330:Prisons; D011639:Public Opinion