diff --git a/Doc/distutils/examples.rst b/Doc/distutils/examples.rst
index 44f7083..e492b7f 100644
--- a/Doc/distutils/examples.rst
+++ b/Doc/distutils/examples.rst
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
     running check
     warning: check: missing required meta-data: version, url
     warning: check: missing meta-data: either (author and author_email) or
-             (maintainer and maintainer_email) must be supplied
+             (maintainer and maintainer_email) should be supplied
 
 
 If you use the reStructuredText syntax in the ``long_description`` field and
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/check.py b/Lib/distutils/command/check.py
index 04c2f96..7ceabd3 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/check.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/check.py
@@ -80,8 +80,11 @@
     def check_metadata(self):
         """Ensures that all required elements of meta-data are supplied.
 
-        name, version, URL, (author and author_email) or
-        (maintainer and maintainer_email)).
+        Required fields:
+            name, version, URL
+
+        Recommended fields:
+            (author and author_email) or (maintainer and maintainer_email))
 
         Warns if any are missing.
         """
@@ -97,15 +100,15 @@
         if metadata.author:
             if not metadata.author_email:
                 self.warn("missing meta-data: if 'author' supplied, " +
-                          "'author_email' must be supplied too")
+                          "'author_email' should be supplied too")
         elif metadata.maintainer:
             if not metadata.maintainer_email:
                 self.warn("missing meta-data: if 'maintainer' supplied, " +
-                          "'maintainer_email' must be supplied too")
+                          "'maintainer_email' should be supplied too")
         else:
             self.warn("missing meta-data: either (author and author_email) " +
                       "or (maintainer and maintainer_email) " +
-                      "must be supplied")
+                      "should be supplied")
 
     def check_restructuredtext(self):
         """Checks if the long string fields are reST-compliant."""
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-26-23-21-56.bpo-38914.8l-g-T.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-26-23-21-56.bpo-38914.8l-g-T.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2dfc1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-26-23-21-56.bpo-38914.8l-g-T.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Adjusted the wording of the warning issued by distutils' ``check`` command when
+the ``author`` and ``maintainer`` fields are supplied but no corresponding
+e-mail field (``author_email`` or ``maintainer_email``) is found. The wording
+now reflects the fact that these fields are suggested, but not required. Patch
+by Juergen Gmach.