Monday, April 27, 2020

Worth Reading: The Other Problem

Worth Reading: The Other Problem
Excerpt: The solution is simple. Media institutions need to do far better jobs of covering the full facet of stories like COVID-19. So often the media is in a left of center bubble that it never even knows about right of center concerns until those concerns have hardened. Then the reporting on those concerns often sounds belittling and partisan. Likewise, we need more reporters willing to be honest brokers. Consider Nancy Pelosi just yesterday suggesting she would have taken a harder line than the President in stopping travel with China in January. Numerous reporters just regurgitated her statement. Few pointed out that in January Pelosi voiced her opposition to the President’s travel ban and wanted to block it. Thankfully, some did, but they were in the minority. On the right, there are not enough willing to just deal with the facts of the virus and the data. Instead, rightwing voices are more often giving credibility to pseudoscientific hacks like Dr. Oz who will tell them what they want to hear. Likewise, you may want to watch this video from Dr. Dan Erickson (no relation). I have had literally dozens of people send it to me and he provides good information on why he thinks it is safe to reopen Kern County, California. Erickson says the local and state health directors agree with him....We are looking at the collapse of integrity in public institutions and the press and the rippling effects in society the collapse of integrity and trust are having. Sadly, instead of the media daring to be self-reflective, they are increasingly becoming partisan. Likewise, the alternative outlets stepping up too frequently start out lacking integrity.

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