Recorded presentation

Mary Moser, MA, Department of Public & Community Health, University of Maryland, 2387 Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, 301-405-0919, moserm@wam.umd.edu

What is the “yuppie flu?” In the late 1980’s, it was a derogatory term for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a condition marked by severe fatigue and several other symptoms such as memory and concentration impairment, sore throat, and severe headaches. People with CFS often face the dual challenge of coping with their debilitating illness, while also dealing with disparaging comments from others who view it as a purely mental, or even hysterical, disorder. This study uses a content analysis approach to determine if news articles produced during 1987-2001 increased the legitimacy of CFS as a physical disorder. Specifically, the hypothesis for this study was that the articles would increase their positive portrayal of CFS over time. A total of 615 articles were collected from six major newspapers including three liberal and three conservative publications. A sample of 195 articles were coded and used in an analysis of the quality of CFS coverage. Definitions of positive and negative portrayals of CFS, as well as specific study methodology will be described. Finally, results and implications will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Define Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
• Describe newspaper coverage of CFS from 1987-2001

Keywords: Chronic Illness, Media

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation