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 GolemDec 27, 2022

@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?

Show threadJessica
@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
Dec 27, 2022 at 3:15amWeb
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.