Euromyth
A euromyth is an exaggerated, distorted or untruthful story in the press specifically relating to the European Union and portraying the EU in an unfavourable light. Euromyths can be either wholly untrue or a deliberate distortion of the facts.[1][2]
Euromyths can also arise when the actions of a different European organisation, such as the Council of Europe, are erroneously attributed to the EU.[3] They may also stem from a misunderstanding. Yet other euromyths are drawn from working papers, policy suggestions or individual ideas, and are presented as a fixed decision being enacted when in fact they may simply be a mere proposal that has little chance of being realised as a piece of legislation.[citation needed]
Euromyths are largely, but not exclusively, a product of the British press; there is a similar phenomenon in Greece.[4]
Both the British government and the European Union have responded by introducing a policy of publicly rebutting euromyths.[4][5]
Source of euromyths
Some euromyths are the result of sensationalist reporting by journalists. In some cases stories have been traced to deliberate attempts by lobbyists to influence actions by the European bureaucracy, for instance the imposition of customs duties.[6][7]
British press coverage of the European Union
The British media, in particular the right-wing press but not limited to tabloids, have regularly made fun of the European Union for drawing up silly rules (see examples below). Such exaggerated or untrue stories are sometimes referred to as "Euro-myths" or "euromyths".[2] These stories often present the European civil service (sometimes refered to as "eurocrats", "europrats", or "barmy Brussels bureaucrats")[8] as drafting rules that "defy common sense", such as rules banning mince-pies, curved bananas, or mushy peas.[2]
Euromyths include the story that English fish and chips shops would be forced to use Latin names for the fish (Sun, 5 September 2001)[8], that double-decker buses would be banned (The Times, 9 April 1998)[9], that British rhubarb must be straight[10], and that barmaids would have to cover up their cleavages.[11]
Rebuttal of euromyths by the European Union and the British government
The scale of negative and distorted reporting on the European Union in the British press led the British representation of the EU, in 2004, to create a "rapid rebuttal service" to counter misleading and inaccurate reports.[4]
The British government, too, launched a campaign "facts, not myths" to combat mis-reporting about the European Union.[5]
Examples of euromyths and rebuttal or explanation
On the 23 July 2003 The Times ran the following story; "Circus performer must walk tightrope in hard hat, says Brussels. A tightrope-walker says that his career has been placed in jeopardy by legislation originating in Brussels which dictates that he must wear a hard hat to perform". This story stemmed from new EU laws which were introduced to protect workers who operate at height but, in the legislation in question, there is no mention of hard hats or circus performers.[12]
Also in 2003 the BBC reported that a council in Wiltshire had had to remove swings from a village because, under EU regulations, they were considered "too high". As with many Euromyths, there was both fact and fiction in the story: the BBC article continues to note that the EU did not in fact insist that the swings were removed but points out that the council itself chose to remove the swings as the framework itself was considered to be dangerously high under the new EU regulations. [13]
Straight Rhubarb
In 1996, The Sun reported "Crackpot Euro chiefs have decreed British rhubarb must be straight. Farmers will have to throw away crooked stalks under barmy new rules. The order follows a review of community fruit and vegetable standards by the EU agricultural directorate". (The Sun]], 24 June 1996, page 11).
In fact the European Union has never planned to set, or recommend, any such marketing rules for rhubarb but it did set out grading standards for fruit and vegetables and an attempt was made to prosecute the British supermarket chain Asda for breaching grading standards.[14]
Truck Drivers to eat Muesli
According to the EU commission in Australia and New Zealand[15] it was reported in several British newspapers that Truck drivers were going to be forced to stop eating 'fry-ups' and be forced to eat Muesli and Croissants by the EU.
In fact the EU was merely planning guidelines for truck drivers which focussed on health and safety issues such as diet. The legislation was mainly concerned with enforcing driver training and conveying information on the importance of rest and responsible driving. There was no mention of "being forced to eat muesli". This story also appears in the BBC quiz on the EU and "Euromyths".[16]
One-size condoms (April Fools' day story)
The EU condom regulation story was a highly successful April Fools' joke by Radio Netherlands that used widespread suspicion of what many saw as the regulatory zeal of the European Commission to make an impact. It was picked up by many newspapers and radio stations in Europe.
On 1 April 2007 Vanessa Mock, a journalist at the Brussels bureau of Radio Netherlands broke a story about a European Commission proposal to strictly regulate the size of condoms in the European Union. Amongst others, it included interviews with a Commission spokesman and a Member of the European Parliament and credibly argued that regulation was necessary to ensure competition and a level playing field for small condom makers - an argument regularly made in real life by the European Commission, one of whose many roles is to regulate the EU's internal market and uphold competition.[17]In fact the EU is not involved in setting condom standards. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is a voluntary body made up of national standards agencies and affiliated industry/consumer organisations from nineteen European countries. It has nothing to do with the EU.[18]
References
- ^ Cross, Simon (2008). "Hippoglossus hippoglossus and chips: Twice please love? Adventures in the underbelly of Euromyths". In Richard Keeble (ed.). Communication Ethics Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 53. ISBN 9781906221041.
Euromyths are lies and distortions perpetrated by journalists concerning EU-related issues, and dressed up as "facts" [. . .]
- ^ a b c Stanyer, James (2007). Modern Political Communication: Mediated Politics in Uncertain Times (revised ed.). Polity. ISBN 9780745627977.
- ^ BBC (2007-03-23). "Guide to the best euromyths". BBC News Channel. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
In 2002 the press reported a threat to certain breeds of the Queen's favourite dog from "a controversial EU convention". The story turned on one key mistake. A European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals does exist, and it does condemn the breeding of some varieties of dogs as pets. However, it is a product of the Council of Europe . . .
. - ^ a b c Cross, Simon (2008). "Hippoglossus hippoglossus and chips: Twice please love? Adventures in the underbelly of Euromyths". In Richard Keeble (ed.). Communication Ethics Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 54. ISBN 9781906221041.
- ^ a b "Cook warns against EU scare stories". Guardian News and Media Limited. 2000-11-13. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
Euromyths provide great fun for journalists. The media has a mission to entertain, and some of them rise magnificently to that goal, Mr Cook said. "But they are failing in their other mission - to inform. From now on, the Government will be rebutting all such stories vigorously and promptly. You will be hearing the catchphrase 'facts, not myths' until that is the way the EU is reported.
Cite error: The named reference "Cook" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Cross, Simon (2008). "Hippoglossus hippoglossus and chips: Twice please love? Adventures in the underbelly of Euromyths". In Richard Keeble (ed.). Communication Ethics Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9781906221041.,
- ^ Osborn, Andrew (2002-01-11). "Why journalists protect their sauces". Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
It all began, I am reliably informed, in the boardroom of a well known sauce manufacturer which must remain nameless. [. . .] Such firms do not understandably like to be seen manipulating or greasing the wheels of power for their own ends, so the company in question retained a lobbying firm which must also remain nameless.
- ^ a b Sun, 5 September 2001, quoted in Cross, Simon (2008). "Hippoglossus hippoglossus and chips: Twice please love? Adventures in the underbelly of Euromyths". In Richard Keeble (ed.). Communication Ethics Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. pp. 52–57. ISBN 9781906221041.
Chippies [i.e. fish and chip shops could be forced to sell fish by their ancient Latin names—thanks to the craziest European ruling so far. If barmy Brussels bureaucrats get their way, baffled Brits will have to ask for hippoglossus hippoglossus instead of plain halibut. . . . Takeaway, restaurants, fishmongers and supermarkets are all set to be BANNED from using names that have been around for centuries
Cite error: The named reference "Cross_hippoglossus" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ quoted in Cross, Simon (2008). "Hippoglossus hippoglossus and chips: Twice please love? Adventures in the underbelly of Euromyths". In Richard Keeble (ed.). Communication Ethics Now. Troubador Publishing Ltd. pp. 52–57. ISBN 9781906221041.
- ^ The Sun. 1996-06-24. p. 11.
Crackpot Euro chiefs have decreed British rhubarb must be straight. Farmers will have to throw away crooked stalks under barmy new rules. The order follows a review of community fruit and vegetable standards by the EU agricultural directorate
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ BBC (2007-03-23). "Guide to the best euromyths". BBC News Channel. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
There was great alarm in 2005 when it was reported that "po-faced pen-pushers" from the EU had ordered a cover-up of barmaids' cleavages.
- ^ European Commission. "Euromyth: Circus performers must wear hard hats". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ "'Ridiculous' rules say swings too high". 2003-01-21. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
EU edict, European Standard BS EN 11 76, states that swings must be no more than 9 ft 11 ins tall. The inspectors advised the council it would be good practice to remove the "offending equipment", although it was not compulsory for them to do so.
- ^ "'Bendy bananas' win UK reprieve". 2002-06-26. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand (2004-11-15). "Euromyth No. 10: Truckie fry-up on the ban list". news@eu, the e-newsletter of the European Commission's Delegations to Australia and New Zealand. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ BBC (2003-03-10). "Quiz: Know your 'barmy' EU rules?". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Vanessa Mock (2007-04-01). "Europe pushes for one-size-fits-all condom". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ European Commission. "Euromyth: Condom dimensions to be harmonised". The EU in the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2009-04-12.