Media Guidelines for reporting on M.E.
March 16, 2023
We’re delighted to launch our media guidelines to better inform media stories on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)
For too long, people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) have struggled to get their condition diagnosed, understood, and acknowledged.
There has been a huge stigma attached to M.E., with people claiming that the condition is not real. This has led to a degree of prejudice on people’s perception of M.E. At the same time, there have been ineffective and potentially harmful treatments recommended such as graded exercise therapy, unhelpfully encouraging people with M.E. to “push through”, which can make the condition worse.
With so many misconceptions and with a lack of societal understanding, the media can and does play a valuable role in highlighting this debilitating disease. However, at the same time, certain types of media depictions of M.E. can unintentionally perpetuate negative stereotypes and stigma towards people with M.E.
We want to work with journalists to ensure reporting on M.E. is accurate and sensitive to people with M.E. Journalists can utilise these guidelines in forthcoming stories and contact media@actionforme.org.uk for comment from Action for M.E.
We have worked extensively with people in the M.E. community to develop these guidelines and are delighted to also share our ‘We asked, You said, We did’ document further explaining the key themes of the document.
