# Journalists

### Resources and advice for reporters who want to support MAPs

Free Fact Check
Prioritize Accuracy
Choose a Topic
Find Sources
Get the Facts

## Free Fact Check

MAP Resources will fact-check articles and posts that contain discussion on MAPs or minor attractions for no charge. Fact checks include the following:

- Review of existing research to verify the legitimacy of claims

- Suggestions for removing or replacing misleading language

- Contact information for relevant experts and professionals

T o request a fact check for an upcoming article, reach out using the contact information on our About page and include an updated draft or published version of the article. Study reviews are provided at our discretion and are dependent on staff availability.

## Prioritize Accuracy

Even when reporting on topics that are only indirectly related to minor-attracted people, taking precautions to avoid including any inaccurate information or misleading wording in your reporting can ensure you are not contributing to the societal stigma against MAPs. There are a variety of resources available to help you accomplish this.

### Use Accurate Terminology

The most common way people unintentionally spread stigmatizing misinformation about MAPs is by repeating misleading language. You can identify correct definitions of popular MAP-related terms using our Dictionary and learn about some of the common mistakes people make when discussing MAPs and minor attractions in our blog post.

### Hear from Experts

In 2021, the Prostasia Foundation, a child sexual abuse prevention and human rights protection organization, with the backing of experts in the fields of clinical psychology, sex therapy, and child protection, sent an open letter to the Editor's Code of Practice Committee calling on media outlets to use accurate terminology when discussing abuse.

## Choose a Topic

If you want to take a more active role in supporting MAPs as a journalist, the first step is to identify a topic that affects their wellbeing or treatment in society. For most stories, this can be as simple as a recent news event, however, the best reporting involves in-depth investigation into one or more long-term issues and examines how they impact MAPs.

### Promote Research

A lack of widespread accurate information about MAPs is one of the most pressing issues facing the MAP community. Many experts in mental health, child protection, and human sexuality face obstacles when trying to share their findings with the public due to stigma. By sharing their results with your audience, you can expand the public's understanding of the obstacles faced by this marginalized group.

### Read MAP Stories

Due to their inability to safely discuss their attractions in public, many MAPs use the internet as a creative outlet. Their online posts often discuss the social and scientific issues that affect MAPs, while some share MAP perspectives on current events. You can find an incomplete list of these posts and blogs on our MAP Stories page to help you find primary sources that better suit your needs as a writer.

### Join MAP Spaces

The best way to learn about the challenges faced by MAPs is by talking to them. MAPs in online spaces, such as support groups and social media platforms, are often willing to share their experiences with reporters for projects that advance the wellbeing of MAPs. Reach out to groups like Virtuous Pedophiles and MAP Support Club to ask if any of their members are interested in being interviewed.

## Find Sources

Reliable and interesting sources are one of the most important parts of any story about a marginalized group. There are several groups and organizations that can help reporters find sources that can give their stories about MAP-related topics a boost. Depending on the focus, these can include child protection experts, mental health researchers, and MAPs.

Some listed mission statements are excerpts

### B4U-ACT

An organization working to build connections between MAPs and experts

Mission

"To educate the public regarding issues faced by individuals (adults and adolescents) who are sexually attracted to children"

Pitch

"Provide your audience with a perspective they won’t normally get from the all too familiar, superficial or sensationalistic reporting based on tired and unrealistic caricatures. Talk to people with first-hand experience - real people who are attracted to minors, and mental health professionals who know them. We can provide contacts for interviews, as well as opportunities to hear new viewpoints at our ground-breaking workshops."

Contact Info

Email pr@b4uact.org or v isit their Contact page.

### Virtuous Pedophiles

The most popular and well-known support group for anti-contact MAPs

Mission

"Virtuous Pedophiles, the organization, seeks to educate the public about pedophilia, including the fact that having pedophilia does not entail committing crimes."

Pitch

"With ten years' experience of talking to non-abusing pedophiles and assisting academic researchers and journalists to understand this population, we give the perspective of those who discover they are pedophiles but commit to never harming a child. We give/facilitate occasional voice interviews and written comments."

Contact Info

Email virped@pm.me or visit their Contact Us page.

### MAP Resources

An organization that compiles and maintains a list of support resources

Mission

"Providing resources and support for those struggling with their attractions and advancing the wellbeing of MAPs through education."

Pitch

"We have years of experience working with MAPs, researchers, and experts, and our MAP-led status makes us trusted within the MAP community. We can find MAPs with story-worthy experiences and reputable experts who can provide quotes and answer your questions during the writing process."

Contact Info

Get in touch using the contact information on our About page.

### Prostasia Foundation

A MAP-friendly child-protection and human rights organization

Mission

"Our uniquely balanced, rights-respecting, and evidence-based approach to CSA prevention allows us not only to protect children from abuse, but also to reduce the separate harms caused to children and others by our society’s predominantly reactive child protection agenda."

Pitch

"The Prostasia Foundation is often asked to comment on public events relating to child sexual abuse prevention, censorship, criminal justice, sexual paraphilias, and the nexus between child protection and the sex-positive communities of sex workers and consensual kink practitioners."

Contact Info

Email info@prostasia.org, call (415) 650-2557, or use their Contact form.

Visit our list of resources for more sources.

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## Get the Facts

Reporting on controversial topics like minor-attracted people can provide an opportunity for malicious actors to attempt to mislead you and encourage you to spread inaccurate information that benefits them. Understanding the research and myths surrounding minor attractions can give you the knowledge you need to stay focused on the truth.

### Identify Misinformation

Preconceived notions can be a powerful force, especially when it comes to controversial topics like MAPs and minor attractions. Since it can be hard to identify misinformation about MAPs when you first encounter it, we created a Guide to Spotting Misinformation that can provide you with tips and strategies for avoiding misleading claims.

### Read the Research

When writing articles about MAPs, always use reliable sources of research. One way to ensure you are doing this is using trusted collections of MAP-related research as a starting point and continuing your investigation from there. Our Research page contains an overview of recent research and links to additional reputable sources.