C’mon people, we all know that scary COVID narrative ain’t gonna push itself.
You know the media (and certain public health experts) have officially gone too far with the COVID fear-mongering when even Nate Silver feels the need to address it in a thread.
I've seen talk about how the media tends to emphasize negative news about COVID, which I don't doubt is true, but which surely stems in part from the fact that certain public health experts tend to heavily emphasize negative news when talking to the press.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 12, 2021
When you have public health experts like Fauci saying he will remain masked and basically avoid life even though he’s vaccinated yeah … the negative flows. And it’s not just the Little Gnome Who Wouldn’t either. For example, Nate writes about Dr. Michael Osterholm:
Check out, for example, this interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm on Meet The Press last week. It's relentlessly negative. He's spinning every fact in the most negative possible light. He's downplaying the effectives of vaccines. It all sounds terrifying.https://t.co/q6cvSrTppP pic.twitter.com/A6DfuOjzyQ
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 12, 2021
The variants WILL KILL US ALL! RUUUUUUUUUUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIVES.
Of course, Meet the Press wanted this narrative, if not, they would have invited another public health expert on who doesn’t think the end of the world is near. Not to mention this Osterholm guy has a history of playing Chicken Little.
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This is the same guy who, on Feb. 13, confidently predicted that America was headed toward its "darkest days with this virus." Since then, the 7-day average death total has from 2594 to 755 (per Worldometers).https://t.co/AjBeWJ4tUo
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 12, 2021
A media that for whatever reason wants people to remain afraid (staying home and watching their networks?) and a bunch of public health experts who have their reasons (ahem, relevance) have created the perfectly terrifying storm of misinformation that far too many Americans are gobbling up.
Meet the Press invited him on the show. Yes, this is their fault. There are any number of experts they could have invited. They wanted this gloss.
— KilroyFSU (@KilroyFSU) April 12, 2021
As a professional scientist it’s been fascinating to see so much scientific data filtered through the mainstream press and public health officials.
— Liz Townsend (@liztownA2) April 12, 2021
The networks are choosing to book that guy though. They're giving a leg up to the doom merchants. I'd argue this sort of transparent doom mongering does more harm than good. Heightens anxiety amongst the compliant, and further emboldens naysayers.
— Max (@maks_amillion) April 12, 2021
Doom merchant.
What a perfect descriptor.
They want to remain relevant.
— BundlebranchblockMD?️?️ (@Bleedinheart2MD) April 12, 2021
Winner winner chicken dinner.
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