Some euromyths are the result of sensationalist reporting by journalists. In this respect the British media - in particular the eurosceptic and conservative sections - is a prime source of euromyths. Stories often present the European civil service (sometimes referred to as "eurocrats", "europrats", or "barmy Brussels bureaucrats") as drafting rules that "defy common sense", such as rules banning mince-pies, curved bananas, or mushy peas. Other euromyths include the story that English fish and chips shops would be forced to use Latin names for the fish (Sun, 5 September 2001), that double-decker buses would be banned (The Times, 9 April 1998), that British rhubarb must be straight, and that barmaids would have to cover up their cleavages.

In other cases euromyths have been traced to deliberate attempts by lobbyists to influence actions by the European bureaucracy, for instance the imposition of customs duties. EU officials have also claimed that many such stories result from unclear or misunderstood information on complicated policies, and are claimed to have seized on minor errors in stories as evidence that they are entirely fictional.

Rebuttal of euromyths by the European Union and the British government

In 2004, the British representation of the EU created a "rapid rebuttal service" to counter what it regarded as misleading and inaccurate reports. The British government, too, launched a campaign "facts, not myths" to combat misreporting about the European Union.