Interviewed by local paper for article on CFS/FM

[LaurelW]

I saw Dr. Bateman today and asked her about it. She was grossly misquoted. The reporter was terrible and Dr. B. was really frustrated at trying to get her to understand what she was saying. I never actually met her, nor talked to her on the phone since our exchanges were done over e-mail, but a close friend of mine is in the news business and explained to me that they get it wrong so often that he wouldn't even consider being interviewed for anything, and he was not impressed with this particular reporter.

So I guess it boils down to the fact that we have to weigh how much good we might have the chance to do against the possibility of perpetuating untruths. My sister has been in the newspaper many times, and has been misquoted and had wrong facts printed so many times that now she insists on seeing the final copy of the article, or she won't let them publish about her. I suspect a lot of reporters would probably balk at this. What a business, eh?

 

[justinreilly]

Thanks for asking Dr. Bateman, Laurel.

 

[Nielk]

Thanks for those points, Tania. I sent a rather strongly-worded e-mail to the reporter about the CBT/GET thing.

Laurel,

You did a great job and we so much appreciate you getting involved and spending your depleted energy to try to educate the world about us. It's amazing that it was printed on the first page! People had to read it and it promotes awareness.
I agree with the others that Dr. Bateman didn't come out speaking very efficiently about our illness but then again it could have been the reporter's interpretation. In addition, we as patients pick up on every word whether it portrays us correctly but the average "normal" reader just glimpses through the article, sees you laying in bed there, I think overall it was a positive outcome for us.

Don't worry about the comments. You already did enough. Just save your energy for yourself and your recovery.

 

[ukxmrv]

That's awful Laurel. Terrible way to treat you and a terrible way to treat Dr Bateman.

 

[LaurelW]

I agree with the others that Dr. Bateman didn't come out speaking very efficiently about our illness but then again it could have been the reporter's interpretation.

Dr. Bateman is an extremely smart, well-versed, knowledgeable doctor about CFS and FM, and what I'm saying is that it is absolutely the reporter's interpretation. No maybes about it. Dr. B. is a very strong advocate for us and is a dedicated doctor. She could have made a lot more money doing something else, and we are lucky to have her. I wish people would stop blaming her for this reporter's incompetence.

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement, Nielk. I think you're right about how the average reader will interpret it, and I think that overall there is a net benefit to this article.

 

[Hope123]

Thanks for clarifying that, Laurel. The one time I was interviewed by phone for a publication, the interviewer sent me the article afterwards (but before publication) to make sure she had gotten the content and tone of what I was saying correct. But in that case, she was working on a more flexible timeline perhaps than a daily newspaper reporter.

 

[ukxmrv]

Sometimes journalists have an idea for something, research what they think is the story and then someone like an editor tells them they should have some interviews to make it look more authentic and to add human interest. Also a physician adds authority to it. When they get a different idea from the participants they just use them as padding and run it anyway.