Dan GillmorDec 27, 2022

Big Journalism is still largely unwilling to call things what they are. Today's example is the Washington Post's use of "vaccine hesitancy" to describe a movement that is based on rejecting science and evidence in favor of dangerous and, increasingly, politically motivated lies.

The people who reject vaccines are attacking their communities. They spread disease and death. We should recognize this, and say it out loud.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/12/26/vaccine-hesitancy-measles-chickenpox-polio-flu/

Growing vaccine hesitancy fuels measles, chickenpox resurgence in U.S.

An Ohio measles outbreak among unvaccinated children comes at a time of heightened concern about the public health consequences of anti-vaccine sentiment.

The Washington Post
Show threadTofu Golem

@dangillmor
I believe the first modern anti-vaxx article played "but both sides" with a grieving mother who was convinced a vaccine caused her child's autism, and painted the scientific consensus as a bunch of meanies hurting the feelings of that grieving mother.

For decades, the mainstream media has used "but both sides" reporting to carefully train the public to disregard expert opinion, and now we wonder why the world is so screwed up?

Dec 27, 2022 at 2:58amWeb
Show threadJessicaDec 27, 2022
@tofugolem @dangillmor Apparently the anti vax narrative is led by just a small group of wealthy people who mske money on alternative medicines, Vitamin sales, healthy living books. They spread misinformation to others who then do the same.
Show threadTofu GolemDec 27, 2022

@JessicaPerthWA @dangillmor
There will always be those looking to make money by lying.

The mainstream media is not supposed to tell us both sides of the story, but tell us which side is telling the more credible story, otherwise, they are misinforming the public rather than informing it.

Show threadKevMDec 27, 2022

@JessicaPerthWA @tofugolem @dangillmor

So sad. The naturopathic medical community are the most honest, well trained medics you could wish to meet. They actually do “follow the science”. The global pharmaceutical funded allopathic system has disgraced itself and caused ‘vaccine hesitancy’ by orchestrating the mainstream attacks on brave doctors who dared to genuinely communicate their scientific evidence which didn’t align with political dogma.

Show threadTofu GolemDec 27, 2022
@KevM416 @JessicaPerthWA @dangillmor
The naturopathic community are a bunch of greedy sociopaths willing to kill people for money. The only difference between them and the pharmaceutical industry is that the law forces the pharmaceutical industry to back up most of their claims with science, while the naturopathy crowd has no such burden placed on their get-rich-quick schemes.
Show threadJessicaDec 27, 2022
@tofugolem @dangillmor https://www.npr.org/2021/05/13/996570855/disinformation-dozen-test-facebooks-twitters-ability-to-curb-vaccine-hoaxes
Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

The majority of false claims about COVID-19 vaccines on social media trace back to just a handful of influential figures. So why don't the companies just shut them down?

NPR
Show threadJessicaDec 27, 2022
@tofugolem @dangillmor https://apnews.com/article/anti-vaccine-bollinger-coronavirus-disinformation-a7b8e1f33990670563b4c469b462c9bf
Inside one network cashing in on vaccine disinformation

The couple in the website videos could be hawking any number of products. “You’re going to love owning the platinum package,” Charlene Bollinger tells viewers, as a picture of a DVD set, booklets and other products flashes on screen.

Associated Press
Show threadTofu GolemDec 27, 2022
@JessicaPerthWA @dangillmor
Yes, but that doesn't absolve the mainstream media of painting quacks as having equally valid opinions as the scientific consensus.