Can we really trust what the media say about the coronavirus?

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The free press is so important that it is enshrined and protected in our Constitution. Journalism is a noble career.

We have to be discerning, as much of what comes through our screens and speakers is not news, it is commentary and entertainment. If it is on TV with great graphics and beautifully made up people, it is not actual journalism.

Meet the Press is one TV program that still has journalistic integrity. Some PBS news will be more journalistic, but by and far print is still where the most solid news can be found. Seek out different journalists, read primary sources, curate your information.
 
I don’t think we can trust the mainstream media for anything anymore. They are no longer unbiased and no longer simply report facts.

Today, the majority of them insert their personal opinion and use their platform to push their personal/political agenda.

The only way to get the truth is to listen / read multiple sources, from all sides. The truth is most likely somewhere in the middle
 
Jimbo said:
I"m not a fan of MSNBC but if they are delivering direct quotes from the CDC I’m confident they are good.
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Our newspaper (a secular newspaper from the Gannett group, not a conservative “newsletter”) published an in-depth story yesterday about cover-ups and flubs by the CDC and the FDA in this pandemic.

It’s a story that makes me not quick to believe what the CDC says. And again, this story was not written by conservative vigilantes.

So…as a medical laboratory technologist who has worked in microbiology for over 35 years (29 in the same lab), I tend to be distrustful of the media at the moment. I don’t think they are deliberately spreading untruths, but I think that there is a lot more to the COVID-19 situation in the U.S. than we know, and that the media has yet to uncover it all. After the crisis, hopefully some really good medical journalists will learn what we did right, and what we did wrong, here in the U.S.

I haven’t seen a lot of “immigrant-blaming” in any media. I’ve seen sensible stories about sheltering-in-place and being vigilant to wash hands, clean surfaces, and cover coughs.

I just think it’s common sense to be a little cynical when it comes to believing everything the media publishes and presents.
 
Blaming the poor AND blaming the immigrant (stranger). This is totally against the teaching of Jesus (and against Jewish law as well). Apart from this, it is simply incorrect.
 
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Peeps said:
So…as a medical laboratory technologist who has worked in microbiology for over 35 years (29 in the same lab), I tend to be distrustful of the media at the moment.
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What is your take on the pandemic? I’m assuming the ‘stay at home’ is valid?

I have a friend who is a virologist and she really doesn’t want to get Covid. That said, she feels its safe to go out and get groceries without being really fearful, just so long as you wash things down when you get home because you don’t know if the stock boy was positive.
 
My advice: Turn the media off! It is the anxious inflaming the anxious. It is the chattering class blurting out sensationalism.

We know how to avoid the virus. How is an hourly body count going to do us any good?
 
po18guy said:
My advice: Turn the media off! It is the anxious inflaming the anxious. It is the chattering class blurting out sensationalism.

We know how to avoid the virus. How is an hourly body count going to do us any good?
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Agreed. I live in Brooklyn. I’m depressed enough about everything without a continuous update about just how bad it is. I’m already as protected as I can be nestled in my apt. Anything really vital gets filtered to me through work communications. If someone sends me something I will read it, otherwise I’m trying to steer clear.
 
The problem with “trust the media”, is that our researchers are in a steep learning curve with the virus pandemic.

So, if you go back and look at what the CDC and WHO have been saying, you’ll find contradictory information, or revisions as new data comes to light.

The news stories from two months ago are different than what we’re seeing now.

Another of the problems is the attempts to politicize this pandemic.

I would say, check with CDC and WHO, frequently, and try to stay as up to date as you can, while understanding that our information is changing as we learn more.
 
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Peeps said:
Our newspaper (a secular newspaper from the Gannett group, not a conservative “newsletter”) published an in-depth story yesterday about cover-ups and flubs by the CDC and the FDA in this pandemic.
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Here is a good place to exercise your distrust of media.
 
I mean no disrespect to them. I’m actually quite concerned about their health. 30 years ago that could have been me.

The simple truth is that the stocker, or me, or anyone, could be positive for 14 days without knowing it. So if I go to do support for your computer, or service your microwave, or fix the radio in your car, it makes sense for you to wipe down the surface after I’m done.
 
You can bet when somebody starts blaming a pandemic on “immigrants” with absolutely zero evidence that immigration had anything to do with it, they were already against “immigrants” and are just looking for any ol’ excuse to dump on them.
 
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I assume you mean news media? If so, most mass media is agenda ($$$), driven.
With time and subjective study, you can ferret out the fake ones.

Listen to “Doctor Doctor” on a good podcast player. (Agenda driven players censure DD.)
I use podcast republic.
 
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Do you mean the Western Media or Soviet one?
In Soviet Union they would say that almost no body got Corona Virus.
Just bcz Soviet people are special and anti-virus made. 😁
 
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If to answer more serious, I stil think that some third world countries have a problems with detection of virus and inability to calculate the numbers of victims.
The official statistics can be low there but in reality statistics is different.
For example for thousands of died pensioners - the statistics can define-heart attack, pneumonia, and so on, but in reality it is a corona.
Italy statistics is big, because Italy is developed country of EU, for example some ex-communists countries of eurasia do not even have the abilities for proper constatations of corpses.
 
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I feel there is a tendency to exaggerate but overall I think the media is doing its job. If it was all a hoax I doubt the economic sector would be taking such a hit. I know at a local level for me I am finding one of our tv shows very supportive of how to get through this, the reporters are genuine even if there is a certain amount of manipulation happening.
 
Reading Russian news about so low corona cases, every one starts to think that corona epidemy is Western propaganda fodder.
The country of 146 million people straddling Europe and Asia and that has a great deal of commerce with China reports only 438 confirmed coronavirus cases and no deaths.
 
Garry Kasparov-

“Of course Russia is lying about their coronavirus stats and I can say that confidently because they lie about everything,” said Kasparov. “Dictatorships lie when they have to—and when they don’t; it’s about control. Control of information, shaping reality, and, most importantly, appearing all-powerful and all-knowing. If the regime can be surprised or overwhelmed by a virus, maybe it’s not so powerful after all, a dangerous line of thought for a repressed population to have. Until there is truly independent testing—and the stories we’re hearing out of Russia are not encouraging—we just don’t know what’s going on.”
 
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