FaMily Magazine Disgraces the Cause

My monthly copy of FaMily magazine dropped through the letterbox yesterday. FaMily is the only national publication for people with Fibro in the UK and although it used to be edited by FMA UK, it is no longer completely controlled by any charity.

I have noticed in the past that the main body of the publication is often filled with articles lifted bodily from the internet, but I was horrified to see yesterday that the front page article was the controversial New York Times article by Alex Berenson that calls into question whether Fibro is real. Not an editorial on how shocking the article is, or even how it is helping to raise awareness despite it’s outdated view. No, a re-print of the actual article. Never mind the possible illegalities of this; the article was shocking and digusting in the first place, but its prominent position in such a renowned and well-read publication as the New York Times meant that no matter what the article said, its mention of Fibro would help to raise awareness. Publication of the article in FaMily magazine has no such silver lining: it is merely helping to perpetuate out of date myths about the condition and should upset readers no end. I was furious and still am.

The FaMily magazine editor didn’t even publish any of the official responses to the article: from experts, from the  American National Fibromyalgia Association or from FMA UK. He published a few responses from regular Americans instead. He didn’t even comment on how shocking the article was.

I find it disgraceful that any publication that is supposed to promote awareness of Fibromyalgia and is supposed to help people with Fibromyalgia in the UK could do anything so ridiculously stupid and demeaning. I would cancel my subscription if it wasn’t for the fact that I want to know what other horrors are going to be published in future.