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Why should we go out of our way to offer the press our own private stories?

The simple answer is that this is a powerful way to educate the public about ME.  Through newspapers and the media we can bring home to the world the seriousness of ME and the problems it brings with it.

Publicity of the right kind will not only help us as individuals, but will help the many other people out there who are too ill to make their own voices heard.  It's a way of knowing we have been of use at a time when we may feel particularly useless.

Why should a newspaper be interested in you?

Editors know that stories about real people sell more papers than stories which merely cover an issue as an abstract concept.  Who would worry about the abstract idea of famine if they didn't see starving people on television?  Sadly, the answer is, not many.  The imagination is stirred by these images, and although we can criticise the press for being "voyeuristic" - and they do go over the top sometimes - nevertheless without the cameras and the journalists that tell us about such tragedies, we would never know of them.  And nothing would ever be done to help.

Most of you will have at least one local newspaper, probably a weekly.  Local newspapers are always in need of stories about local people, because it is these stories which sell papers to the community they serve.  This means that they are predisposed to being interested in your story.

Contrary to most people's expectations, local news reporters are usually really nice to the young people they visit.  They aren't interested in upsetting or exploiting you - after all, sales of their newspaper in your area depend on their NOT upsetting you.  I was telephoned by a local reporter who covered a young woman's story and was so concerned for her loneliness and lack of support, she volunteered to put her in touch with me, and was as good as her word.

How should you "package" your story for the paper?

To have the best chance of getting your story covered, along with the points you want to make, you need to know a few facts about how newspapers work.

Stories tend to be divided in two ways:

1. News or Feature:

News is something that is happening now.

Features are more in-depth pieces, often longer than news items and not necessarily "date-specific" - they can be run at any time.

These two categories can be interdependent; for example, a newspaper may look for a news peg on which to "hang" a more in-depth feature story.  So, for example, ME Awareness Day (May 12th), and in fact the whole of ME Awareness Week (the week in which May 12th falls) is a news peg on which to hang an in-depth personal feature about someone with ME.  If you are interested in persuading a paper to run a piece about ME, it can be useful to suggest to them a news peg on which they might hang it.

For example.  ME Awareness Day comes once a year, but there are many other news pegs you can think up, if you are creative enough.  Suppose you pass a GCSE exam by taking it at home - the local paper might well be interested in running the story at the time when the GCSE results come out.  You can point out that you are not a "poor victim" of illness, but someone who has succeeded in spite of it.  You can give credit to those who made special arrangements for you to take the exam in conditions best suited to getting good results.  After all, you didn't use up vital energy going to the examinations centre but instead you were able to use all your energy for the exam.  This is a better piece of ME publicity than someone like me merely writing a theoretical article saying that young people ought to be offered these facilities - you are showing that you did it, and it works.  Send me your press clipping and I in turn can use your story in my own writing.  And so the news spreads and gains influence.

You might even find a national paper interested in some aspect of your story, though they are besieged by stories, so don't wear yourself out trying.  And dealing with journalists on the nationals is not quite the same as dealing with local reporters.  You may be able to interest a magazine, however, and they often pay for readers' stories.

2. National or Local

People often wonder why national stories aren't carried by their local papers.  This is simply because the story is a national one - who is going to buy their local weekly paper to read about stories that have been on national TV earlier in the week, or in the national daily papers?  Not many local weeklies would be sold on that basis.  People buy local papers for local news.

However, you can help to ensure that national ME stories are covered in your local paper because you reflect a local aspect of the national story.

For example, a local newspaper may not mention at all a national event such as the launch of Young Action Online unless offered an interview with a young person in their area.  So you hold a great deal of power, if you wish to use it.

Lead-in time

Newspapers have a shorter lead-in time than magazines.  The monthlies typically plan three months ahead, but you can contact local newspapers just a couple of weeks in advance.  With "hot news" they can cover a story even more quickly.  Give as much notice as you can.  With things like exams, ring them the moment you know the result.  This is a topical story which will go "cold" if it isn't covered soon after the event.

What is it like to be interviewed?

Contrary to public expectation, local reporters are generally very sympathetic to young people, particularly if they are ill.  If they don't get all the facts right, the best thing is not to complain unless it was a really dire mistake; just save it up for a good-humoured joke the next time you contact them to ask them to cover something else.

I've had the occasional funnies printed about me; on one occasion I discovered that I was in my fifties (I was still in my forties...grrrr) and another time I learned that I had two children.  Even allowing for ME-brain, I decided that it wasn't me who had got the sums wrong.  Generally these things just make for a good laugh, though one paper did print in an "information" box that a person with ME might be "completely tired after running up a flight of stairs..."  Running up a flight of stairs?  I don't think so...

N.B.  If you are under 16, ask your parents' permission before approaching a journalist.
 

The media affects how we look at things and influences our opinions.  When it comes to ME, the radio, newspapers and television can influence the way people think about those of us who have the disease. Realistic media coverage is important in gaining recognition of our illness so here are a few tips:

Fundraising

If someone you know is organising an ME event (anything from a request for used stamps to a sponsored lorry pull), send the press all the relevant details such as time, place and contact number, in plenty of time.  When ME is publicised, however briefly, it helps to raise the profile of the illness.  You could also ask if they would like a photo or more detailed information.

Letters

Most papers print letters from members of the public.  Bear in mind that these are often edited and that national newspapers receive a lot more than they can print.  However, when you read a good article on ME it can be followed up with a letter of appreciation, either to the letters page or the individual journalist c/o the newspaper.  If, on the other hand, you wish to criticise an article, it is important to be courteous.  Try to be constructive and factual rather than angry.

Interviews

ME organisations (including local groups) like to have the details of people who are willing to talk to the media.  Before an interview, let the journalist know approximately how long they can expect to be able to talk to you. Remember that your energy will probably be drained by 'nerves' and adrenalin, as well as the interview itself.  I have found the effect of adrenalin one of the hardest things about being interviewed: it is useful for summoning up maximum concentration, but can cause difficulty in resting afterwards. Take your time, especially over difficult questions.  I often find that when asked to describe my symptoms I forget to mention several important ones.  Although on the whole I haven't found it helpful to plan much beforehand, as I don't know what they will ask, I have benefited from preparing for this particular question. Newspapers are generally willing to print contact details of local and/or national ME groups so do provide the information.

All the experiences that I have had with the media have been positive.  It can be nerve-racking, but it is exciting as well.  A few sentences have made me squirm, but overall I have been pleased with every single item.  The journalists have without exception been very understanding and appreciative of the energy I was putting in.  I didn't expect to benefit personally, so I have been pleased to find that I am more able to talk confidently about my illness now, and I even experienced an increased understanding from  my social services carer!

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