Many thanks for getting in touch about BBC News.
Whilst we’re disappointed to learn that you were unhappy with our coverage, we'd clarify that this is the largest clinical trial of an intervention in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and is being directly funded by the National Institute for Health Research (the research wing of the National Health Service). This makes it a significant story.
Our coverage has been a mix of why the researchers have decided to undertake the trial and the personal experiences of patients (particularly children) with the disease. The Association of Young People with ME – a charity that represents children with the disease – and the UK’s Medical Research Council both say there has been a lack of attention given to CFS / ME and that this trial is needed.
The BBC cannot ignore stories like this and has reported a broad range of CFS / ME research - including striving to find a biological cause in
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31644618; the difficulties along the way in
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15017660; the threats sent to people researching the field in
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14326514; and why discussing the disease has become so toxic in
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14883651.
We hope our reply here helps to clarify our approach. Many thanks once again for taking the time to get in touch.