The media wants you to panic

[Bobbert]

This is journalistic malpractice.

12 of the top 14 stories on the Detroit News homepage are coronavirus.

20 of 21 on the Detroit Free Press’ homepage are coronavirus.

The media says things like “we didn’t do this,” #factsoverfear, “all we said was to wash your hands.”

100% false.

It wants you to fear. It wants you to panic. It makes for a better story.

Another version of the old "if it bleeds, it leads" approach to journalism. They definitely want to stir up your emotions. I went to Kroger about 10 o'clock last night, and the empty shelves made me wonder if I had walked into a science fiction movie or a third world country.

The Op Ed page of the Wall Street Journal yesterday had an interesting contrast in articles. At the top of the page, Peggy Noon took the panicky doom-and-gloom approach and belittled the people who say, "Don't panic." At the bottom of the page, Holman Jenkins took the patient, unemotional approach and talked about how the basic steps taken to combat flu also help combat the corona virus.

[Deleted User 15225]

This is a global pandemic. I am a molecular biologist (albeit not a virologist, but have extensive work in viral genomes) and there have been several experts in virology and epidemiology who put the number of infections at 40-60 million in the US with mortality numbers around 1 million. 12-18 months to gain immunity which means this may flare up again in the fall (if it turns out to be seasonal).

The virus is mutating as we speak and will undoubtedly be very difficult to pin down in the immediate future of research.

Yes you can take the same steps as influenza prevention but the difference is that this genome is novel. No one has an immunity. It's a respiratory infection...do we have enough ventilators? Beds? No. Mortality rates are 10x (at least) higher than influenza.

So, yeah, putting it at the forefront of all news outlets is not a waste.

[Deleted User 7769]

This is a global pandemic. I am a molecular biologist (albeit not a virologist, but have extensive work in viral genomes) and there have been several experts in virology and epidemiology who put the number of infections at 40-60 million in the US with mortality numbers around 1 million. 12-18 months to gain immunity which means this may flare up again in the fall (if it turns out to be seasonal).

The virus is mutating as we speak and will undoubtedly be very difficult to pin down in the immediate future of research.

Yes you can take the same steps as influenza prevention but the difference is that this genome is novel. No one has an immunity. It's a respiratory infection...do we have enough ventilators? Beds? No. Mortality rates are 10x (at least) higher than influenza.

So, yeah, putting it at the forefront of all news outlets is not a waste.

I’m sorry. I, too, am a scientist and completely disagree with you. I believe the number of cases to be far greater than reported and thusly, more recoveries than reported. According to published data, the fatality rate is around 3-3.5%. Most in the medical field believe as I do that it’s likely closer to 1% because it’s simply not possible to test or monitor those who have the disease and those who do not.

We’ll know soon enough. Certainly, approaching COVID-19 with an abundance of caution isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, blowing this out of proportion is wrong and using the deaths of thousands of people fodder for political pandering is despicable.

I’m not big on conspiracy theories but I will say this. This virus is real. But, the engineered panic surrounding it feels like a concoction to begin a civil war. And that should scare the hell out of all of us.

[Deleted User 15225]

I think politicizing it is reprehensible. I think the pundits are spinning things to suit their own objectives. To underplay it or to overplay it is wrong.

I'm a Trump guy and a lifelong republican, but Trump has done a horrible job with this.

[DAC]

NBC Nightly Fright with Kate Snow tonight was 100% Coronavirus. I think the media at large needs to shut up. Let the CDC and the World Health Organization do the speaking. Sure, present that on the news. But enough of the people who may or may not be experts clogging the airwaves. All it takes is one match to start a forest fire. What? You say there is a riot at a Kroger store in Ohio? Let's not only show the footage (captured on cell phone, naturally) let's stick microphones in the car windows of everyone lining up to buy toilet paper because an initially small set of morons bought it all up, causing everyone else to worry that they won't be able to get any. Snowball city.

[Rate This]

NBC Nightly Fright with Kate Snow tonight was 100% Coronavirus. I think the media at large needs to shut up. Let the CDC and the World Health Organization do the speaking. Sure, present that on the news. But enough of the people who may or may not be experts clogging the airwaves. All it takes is one match to start a forest fire. What? You say there is a riot at a Kroger store in Ohio? Let's not only show the footage (captured on cell phone, naturally) let's stick microphones in the car windows of everyone lining up to buy toilet paper because an initially small set of morons bought it all up, causing everyone else to worry that they won't be able to get any. Snowball city.

And that starts at the top and it was left to fill itself in because the people at the top didn’t get immediately on top of it... they waited 6 or 7 weeks instead and let hysteria take over first.

[Deleted User 14896]

NBC Nightly Fright with Kate Snow tonight was 100% Coronavirus. I think the media at large needs to shut up. Let the CDC and the World Health Organization do the speaking. Sure, present that on the news. But enough of the people who may or may not be experts clogging the airwaves. All it takes is one match to start a forest fire. What? You say there is a riot at a Kroger store in Ohio? Let's not only show the footage (captured on cell phone, naturally) let's stick microphones in the car windows of everyone lining up to buy toilet paper because an initially small set of morons bought it all up, causing everyone else to worry that they won't be able to get any. Snowball city.

I agree with you. Everyone already knows what to do.
"Stay home if you can, don't shake hands, wash your hands frequently, maintain distance, avoid crowds, yada yada."
Over and over.
Even if everything that selurzam says is true, what does the constant "the sky is falling" achieve?
I think everyone is already on board. Can we get thru this without the constant drum beat of doom and gloom?

[windsor]

I agree that the elites want a panic situation, but this virus was hatched in a lab as a bio weapon.Was let out purposely no accident.

A lot could die from this " de population agenda" by globalists and what better chance at implementing martial law.

Pretty simple agenda.

[bmw]

this virus was hatched in a lab as a bio weapon. Was let out purposely no accident.

I'd be curious to know what evidence you have of this being the case. Is there something you know that nobody else does?

A lot could die from this " de population agenda" by globalists and what better chance at implementing martial law.

The US is certainly headed in the direction of eventual martial law. While I don't believe the virus was part of a bio weapon, I do believe that our government is abusing its power in the name of public safety. People are most willing to surrender their rights when they believe there is a national emergency. And we all know that big-government politicians let no crisis go to waste.

[Deleted User 12047]

I agree that the elites want a panic situation, but this virus was hatched in a lab as a bio weapon.Was let out purposely no accident.

A lot could die from this " de population agenda" by globalists and what better chance at implementing martial law.

Pretty simple agenda.

You need to put down your copy of "The Stand" and get some fresh air.

[Rate This]

I agree that the elites want a panic situation, but this virus was hatched in a lab as a bio weapon.Was let out purposely no accident.

A lot could die from this " de population agenda" by globalists and what better chance at implementing martial law.

Pretty simple agenda.

Rather than depopulation... which could have the effect of killing their own family... these people aren’t that insane at all. I present to you the humble Pangolin:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin

This and bats are the two animals suspected of harboring Covid-19... that lovely animal market in China is a place they sell live specimens of both. Sars and H1N1 both jumped from animals as a matter of fact... at a similar animal market in China no less... SARS was bats, H1N1 was Pigs or Birds...

[windsor]

The original story that has been hushed up was that the virus was smuggled out of a Winnipeg bio lab by a woman doctor who worked there since 2014 but was a Chinese agent.Then brought to a Wuhan bio lab.What happened after that is unknown.

Believe what you like but there is more behind this than meets the eye.

[windsor]

“If I were reincarnated I would wish to be returned to earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.”

― Prince Philip

[Rate This]

The original story that has been hushed up was that the virus was smuggled out of a Winnipeg bio lab by a woman doctor who worked there since 2014 but was a Chinese agent.Then brought to a Wuhan bio lab.What happened after that is unknown.

Believe what you like but there is more behind this than meets the eye.

They sat on it for 6 years to inflict maximum pain because the crystal ball said so... suuuuurrrrreeeee...

[bmw]

I will concede that the theoretical scenario of an engineered virus as a bio-weapon is plausible, but I've just seen ZERO evidence that this is the case with Covid-19. Not saying it is 100% impossible, but without some evidence to back that up, it remains nothing more than a conspiracy theory.