There is a tendency nowadays for particular viewpoints about the genesis of psychiatric illness to be portrayed on one or other of the mass media. These rather superficially point an accusing look at families and achieve little beyond engendering guilt and unhappiness in the relatives of patients. Moreover, this tends to be done in such a way as to imply that these are the only approaches consistent with human concern and empathy, and the efforts of others are likely to be ignored or vilified. The form in which some of these programmes are presented is often disturbingly close to documentary, and the manner of their presentation is such as to appear to the ordinary person to be the voice of authority and solid experience. Clearly, different opinions should be allowed expression, but when complex problems are shown in this one-sided way there is a serious risk that the result will be distress and bewilderment among patients, their relatives and the community at large, and that patients in need of help will be discouraged from seeking it. A way must be found for those who have daily experience of these disorders, and who have studied them in depth, to be given adequate opportunities to present their views.