Improving images used to depict ME/CFS

https://twitter.com/user/status/1454112948264202246


https://twitter.com/user/status/1454118727683764226

 

You mean like the photo of a woman in trainers, leggings and a T-shirt apparently jogging up a flight of steps in today's Guardian, for instance? https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/oct/29/health-watchdog-nice-publishes-delayed-me-guidance

 

Tying up some loose threads...

When I was at TL, I used to produce the weekly round-up of articles called the "Talking Points" page, so I would often need to select suitable photos to illustrate topics (if the article itself didn't contain a figure I could use). From my experience doing this, the editor will search the photo libraries using terms that *they* think will best illustrate the piece to their readers.

So for ME/CFS, they are likely use "fatigue" or "tired" as search terms (because that's what they know) - hence the proliferation of pics showing desk workers with a headache. And yes, if the article mentions "exercise", they'll use a pic of someone jogging up a flight of stairs.

Therefore, even if you make sure that more suitable images - i.e. here: https://phoenixrising.me/stock-photography/ - are tagged with keywords like "fatigue" etc - you still have the task of getting the editor to use them in preference to the usual head-clutcher.

One of the best photos I saw used recently was this one: https:// www. gettyimages.co.uk/ detail/news-photo/an-in-home-nurse-cares-for-the-mother-of-the-photographer-news-photo/1226511210 [eta: I've broken the link because something keeps trying to embed it!]
Unfortunately, it was used for a Spiked article about whether "Long Covid is even real".

So while it's all very well trying to get the images out there, and tagged properly - and we should definitely be doing that - getting them to be used is quite another thing entirely, and will require a lot of badgering and education.

 

The probably used 'exercise' as their search term (graded exercise therapy)...

 

> should become standard practice for ME organisations to supply good quality realistic photos

is it possible that the smc, or others, do something like that?

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those who choose or approve images and headlines need to know above all that the disease is serious and multisystem. then the problem of misleading images and headlines will not appear even if they are misdirected.

including in articles that do not sufficiently correct preconceptions by emphasizing reality.

 

There is a member-only thread looking for feedback on a selection of possible stock photo library images (and asking for better suggestions).

What do you think of these photos to depict PwME in the media? Help us build a collection!

 

Link for thread (@Simon M)

https://www.s4me.info/threads/what-...help-us-build-a-collection.23430/#post-392542

 

Poll: what do you think of these possible images for a photo collection? VOTE!

This thread has been discussing a possible collection of photos from the Getty Images photo library that is used by many media outlets. The thread largely reached a consensus but there was some debate about some images.

You can express your views on these images by voting in the poll (make sure to read the instructions and view the images in the post below the poll itself).

Thanks

 

The discussion (and voting) of and on possible images came up with a final selection of photos that we think are a worthwhile improvement on current media images showing the likes of yawning well-groomed office workers to represent ME.

We now have a final selection of photos we think are a worthwhile improvement on the current situation.

> PLEASE VOTE to give your views on this. <

We would love to get at least 50 votes to demonstrate support for the selection to UK charities to encourage them to use the images.

 

Hi all! If you posted, ‘liked’ or read comments on this thread, I hope you might be interested in spending just a few minutes helping out with an important, related project here on the forum – namely, to get the media to use better images of PwME in their news articles.

A large group of us have been working together on another thread to choose a pool of suitable photos in the Getty Images stock library, which media editors already use to find photos. We want to suggest to our charities that they include a link to that pool with every press release that they send out, and encourage photo editors to use it.

But we need your help to show that meaningful numbers of PwME and our carers support the pool! We’re therefore aiming for at least 50, and preferably 100 votes on the photo-pool in this poll.

So if you haven’t done so already, please read Simon M’s explanatory post (the first in that thread) and then do the poll.

Huge thanks!

 

Thanks very much to everyone who has voted on the poll so far! We’ll be closing it on January 3rd.

And just a reminder – if discussing individual photos, please don’t post any copies or screenshots of pictures from Getty Images – it’s against their copyright terms and they’re known to use software that crawls the web looking for rogue copies of their images, so it’s best not to.

Thanks again, and happy holidays!

(With apologies for cross-posting.)

 

Poll closed, 90% in favour of the Getty Images collection put together by PwME

Thank you to everyone who voted in the poll, which is now closed. 90% of you agreed that the photos are a worthwhile improvement on the ones currently used in the media. This means we can now pass on the collection of Getty Images photos to charities explained there were selected and approved by people with ME and their carers. And, hopefully, the charities will recommend these images to the media and we will start to see fewer images in the media that trivialise the illness.

We will also be passing on the view expressed by many people that what is really needed are a new set of photos and we will be suggesting that charities commission appropriate photos (in addition to those of severe patients arranged by the German Association of ME/CFS).

Thanks again.

 

Thanks, @Simon M - just wanted to add that any further discussion of the images and the pool should be on this other thread.

 

There have been a few threads discussing this so not sure where best to put it but I thought this was an OK photo to use, much better than average:

 

Don't know if this is the right thread, but just noticed that a German article about Long Covid from Tuesday used same stock photo as a Norwegian article about a study on ME. It's of a young man in bed, covering his face with his arm, and with a wheel chair in the background. Rather good picture, I think. I'm curious what search words the journalists have used to get to that image.

 

These are not just typical stock photos but pictures taken by a German ME/CFS organization, you can find them in the press photos section on their website. I use these photos too sometimes on my page. I don't know how these ended up in those articles but maybe some advocacy work was involved in the process?

 

oh, that's wonderful! Great that they are finding their way into media articles!

 

Long COVID finding the same issues
https://twitter.com/user/status/1530980403724845057