Epilepsy - Media get your terms right!

miss choc

I was just catching up on reading last night and saw an story in a tabloid on Tuesday 30th April about an article referring to a person who unfortunately died from a seizure on the night the Late Late show piece on epilepsy was aired on Friday 19th April.
Maybe I am over sensitive but I suffer from epilepsy and the medical editor in question mentioned in the main title and throughout the article the person having "fits" surely for a "professional" :rolleyes: medical writer would the proper term seizure not be more appropriate.
I always thought that a fit was a derrogatory term for a seizure I know I prefer saying seizure as do lots of people I know or have relatives with epilepsy. I was surprised to see the term in a national newspaper
I contacted Epilepsy Ireland and were angry as this as they they have a section on their site for journalists of what terminology to use in regards to Epilepsy "fits" is not one of them some journalists are so unprofessional :mad:

echo beach

Have you complained directly to the paper?
There is a lot of ignorance out there, including among journalists, but unless you (and others) tell them they won't know that this bothers you. If they ignore your complaint then let them know you won't be buying their paper again and that you will be contacting their advertisers to tell them why.

miss choc

Yes I did I contacted Epilepsy Ireland first to make sure I was correct in relation to the term. They responded saying they too were annoyed as there is a section on their website for media to look at - a terminology list to use of what is and what is not acceptable.
Seemingly this tabloid decided to either not bother looking at it or ignore it. I emailed the medical editor in question she replied saying she will discuss it with her managers so I am awaitng a response. If a profession medical journalist cannot put proper wording in a paper re a medical condition I can understand how there can be ignorance based on misleading articles.

echo beach

miss choc wrote: »

Seemingly this tabloid decided to either not bother looking at it or ignore it. I emailed the medical editor in question she replied saying she will discuss it with her managers so I am awaitng a response.

In fairness they may not have known it was there. Now they do so there is no excuse.
The managers may well come back saying they use the same words as their readers would use and understand. Of course they want to avoid obscure medical terms and jargon but 'seizure' is in general usage.

miss choc

Exactly I think most people in Ireland nowadays know what a seizure is Epilepsy Ireland create as much awareness as they can though education, research and programmes like the Late Late two weeks ago. The Mail doesnt do us any favours using archaic terms for a symptom of a condition. I remember as a kid my mother used the word turn in the 80's but never fit it's not a nice word to describe a seizure.