ArticleJRSM short reports2011
Chronic fatigue syndrome in the media: a content analysis of newspaper articles.
Article in JRSM short reports, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- A content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in the news from 1987 to 2013.Chronic illness · 2018Article
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Portrayal by UK National Newspapers 2011-2016: A Service User - Led Thematic Analysis of Language Used.BMC rheumatology · 2018Article
- An evidence-based evaluation of health information on erectile dysfunction from 10 nationwide daily newspapers in Korea.Korean journal of urology · 2013Article
- Views on the nature of chronic fatigue syndrome: content analysis.JRSM short reports · 2013Article
- Idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields: a content analysis of British newspaper reports.PloS one · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesAlthough cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise treatment are recognized evidence-based treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), their use is still considered controversial by some patient groups. This debate has been reflected in the media, where many patients gather health information. The aim of this study was to examine how treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome/ME is described in the newspaper media.
designContent analysis of newspaper articles.
settingThe digitalized media archive Atekst was used to identify Norwegian newspaper articles where chronic fatigue syndrome/ME was mentioned.
participantsNorwegian newspaper articles published over a 20-month period, from 1 January 2008 to 31 August 2009.
main outcome measuresStatements regarding efficiency of various types of treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome/ME and the related source of the treatment advice. Statements were categorized as being either positive or negative towards evidence-based or alternative treatment.
resultsOne hundred and twenty-two statements regarding treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME were identified among 123 newspaper articles. The most frequent statements were positive statements towards alternative treatment Lightning Process (26.2%), negative statements towards evidence-based treatments (22.1%), and positive statements towards other alternative treatment interventions (22.1%). Only 14.8% of the statements were positive towards evidence-based treatment. Case-subjects were the most frequently cited sources, accounting for 35.2% of the statements, followed by physicians and the Norwegian ME association.
conclusionsStatements regarding treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in newspapers are mainly pro-alternative treatment and against evidence-based treatment. The media has great potential to influence individual choices. The unbalanced reporting of treatment options for chronic fatigue syndrome/ME in the media is potentially harmful.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.