Mastodawn

Dan Gillmor Dec 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

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Tofu Golem Dec 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?

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Jessica Dec 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.

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Tofu Golem

@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.