Phillip LabryDec 27, 2022
Dan Gillmor

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
Dec 27, 2022 at 1:32amWeb
Show threadPeter PrincipleDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor By that standard, Typhoid Mary was "sanitation hesistant."
Show threadC0unt WAVnsteinDec 27, 2022
@jobsboils @dangillmor When we get another typhoid or cholera outbreak and anti vaxxers find that their simple minded certainties do nothing to protect them from shitting their entrails out before they shrivel up and die, then they might get the message.
Show threadPeter PrincipleDec 27, 2022

@C0_WAV @dangillmor Well, if COVID was any guide, they're more likely to lay dying in a hospital bed screaming at the doctor to tell them what's REALLY wrong with them.

Typhoid and cholera just being liberal hoaxes and all...

Show threadBigJay 🏳️‍🌈Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor "vaccine hesitance" sounds a little more PC than "f-cking morons"
Show threadtoolbear#🪧Dec 27, 2022

@BigJay76 @dangillmor
I get this sentiment and have said effectively the same thing as you more than once.

Later, I appreciated the reminders that a better place for my ire is the media consolidation that has deprived communities of local & regional news, replacing them with coastal-centric outrage factories.

I'm not excusing ignorance, but regular folks don't have a choice about the information desert they physically live in or the disinformation battleground that is online journalism.

Show threadtoolbear#🪧Dec 27, 2022

shoutout to the women of Gaslit Nation, Andrea Chalupa & Sarah Kendzior, for helping me think in these terms. Here Andrea interviews Sarah about her latest book THEY KNEW:

https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/9/14/they-knew-kendzior-interview

THEY KNEW — The Gaslit Nation Interview — Gaslit Nation

Finally, it’s out! Sarah’s latest book They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps Americans Complacent, is available in stores, as an ebook, and as an audiobook, so please go out and get it. If you like it, please tell your friends! Sarah lacks a crime cult PAC to bulk buy her works for money laun

Gaslit Nation
Show threadxs4me2Dec 27, 2022
@toolbear @BigJay76 @dangillmor
But not informing themselves (correctly) is not an excuse I would say. Never ever has there been more information available in this world than now. It is just a matter of the right mindset to be able to find and digest it. And recognizing truth from blatant lies for that matter…
Show threadJennifer GallaysDec 27, 2022
@xs4me2 @toolbear @BigJay76 @dangillmor That’s easier said than done. It’s getting harder and harder to find the “truth.” Disinformation is rampant and without easy access to reliable information we do not have democracy.
Show threadSilkesterDec 27, 2022

@xs4me2 @toolbear @BigJay76 @dangillmor
"But not informing themselves (correctly)"
If it only were that easy. One would think journalists are trained in critical thinking and vetting their sources and a guard-rail like one of the more reputable science magazine is able to correctly peer-review and yet, a snake-oil-salesman sneaked in his bogus vaccine/autistic study, which to this day is circulated. And real vaccine scandals did the rest.

I'm truly vexed with the political gain vaccine lies!

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 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.
Show threadNathan Lowell (he/him) 📎Dec 27, 2022

@dangillmor

How is it possible they haven't learned how many papers pissed off readers buy?

Oh, wait ...

Show threadRob needs sci-fi 🚀🛸Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor one is curious just who is bankrolling some of these anti vaccine groups.
Show threaddorfDec 27, 2022
@daltonator @dangillmor
Russians, Chinese, Farage The Toad, Murdoch...
Show threadDAME MagazineDec 27, 2022

@dangillmor We can't help but think of this piece we published

https://www.damemagazine.com/2021/08/10/journalism-jargon-is-obfuscating-the-facts/

Journalism Jargon is Obfuscating the Facts | Dame Magazine

Dame Magazine
Show threadMattstodon 🏳️‍⚧️Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor growing selfishness born of sincere ignorance
Show threadJune BlenderDec 27, 2022

@dangillmor Excellent article condemning the inaccurate and cowardly word choice of journalists and editors in the Trump era by Allison Hantschel at Dame Magazine.

https://www.damemagazine.com/2021/08/10/journalism-jargon-is-obfuscating-the-facts/

Journalism Jargon is Obfuscating the Facts | Dame Magazine

Dame Magazine
Show threadGrae HallDec 27, 2022

@dangillmor Saw some people attacking Ted Lieu in the replies to one of his tweets about how he's been part of covering up "vaccine injury"

No, no those people need to shut the heck up and not be treated like they're serious and valid voices

Show threadZachAuthorDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Exactly
Show thread🌊Ann Morris🐕🍀🌎🌊🌊Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor If these people follow the bible as closely as they pretend, they would recognize themselves as one of the horsemen of the apocalypse.
Show threadSepidehDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor The majority of anti-vaccine folks are vaccine hesitant. That means they can be persuaded to make better life choices. Only a small fraction are so deeply anti-vaccine that you should not even bother talking to them about their choices.
Show threadFrédéric D'AstousDec 27, 2022
@sepdroid @dangillmor I'm inclined to think there are 2 categories ... vaccine hesitant (at various levels) and the anti-vaccine movement (with specific ideological beliefs).
Show threadSepidehDec 27, 2022

@fdastous @dangillmor

The anti-vaccine movement originally peaked in the late 1990s because people blamed vaccines for autism.

My inclination to yell at anti-vaccine folks is generally not helpful.

However, medical professionals have been working on this.

They need pro-vaccine people to show up at the state capitols when anti-vaccine folks try to get vaccine requirements for schools removed or diluted.

Only 10-20% of anti-vaccine folks are part of the ideological anti-vaccine movement.

Show threadNot A BirdDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Same shit all over again. Both sides-ing everything to the point of giving legitimacy to lunacy.
Show threadVirtue signal 💉💉💉🇺🇸 🇺🇦Dec 27, 2022

@dangillmor

And a prime example of why QTs are valuable... if this article were a WaPo tweet.

So we can essentially QT articles on regular websites (what you see here), just not toots on fedi.

I even see ppl here doing this with Twitter content.

Show threadPaul Chambers🚧Dec 27, 2022

@tasket @dangillmor

Toot previews show up when I link a toot in a reply or in a new toot. Could be better but it gives the gist, esp if there is an image attached to a toot

Sometimes it takes a bit to show up after it is published

I believe the instance you're on has link previews set to process within 2 minutes in Sidekiq due to its servers' large volume of tasks. Until Sidekiq processes, it will appear as a text url up to a few minutes, some fail in sidekiq, though. It's your admins setup

Show threadVirtue signal 💉💉💉🇺🇸 🇺🇦Dec 27, 2022

@paul @dangillmor

That just shows the person's name and avatar, not the content.

Show threadPaul Chambers🚧Dec 27, 2022

@tasket @dangillmor
That's actually the content. His avatar is himself.

Point I was trying to make, is your server instance, not Mastodon or Fedi, is preventing the toot cards from appearing, either because they are too busy processing other things in sidekiq or have preview cards downgraded. Your instance admin, who happens to be the dev of Mastodon, is strongly against things going viral, incl. by search. That may play into why you aren't seeing preview cards. Your instance admin settings.

Show threadPaul Chambers🚧Dec 27, 2022
@tasket @dangillmor
2/ I want to add, I'm not disagreeing with the premise of your original message about QT's or trolling you. Just adding that some of us experience Mastodon and even the fedi as a whole, different than others, based on the settings of the fedi or Mastodon instance we happen to hang our shingle.
Show threadTristan LouisDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor As a rule, I now call people who are against vaccines or masks "Pro-Covid" because that is what they are. You can also use "Covid supporters" for variety.
Show threadDan GillmorDec 27, 2022
@TNLNYC Pro-covid, pro-measles, etc...
Show threadIan M. Mackay, PhD (he/him)Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor..while recognising there is *also * vaccine hesitancy, some of it caused by the cult you describe, some out of fear, some out of lived experience etc
Show threadartistwithouttalentDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor that'll happen when let the world's richest man buys a paper. They have to cater to everyone and avoid alienating any audience in order to keep ad revenue up, so they hide the truth behind jargon
Show threadZorro Notorious MEB 😡Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor We should also do deep reporting on the industry behind it, its cash flows and the harms it is causing. Just calling it out isn't enough.
Show threadMike | Abundance ProtocolDec 27, 2022

@dangillmor call it vaccine hesitancy, call it rejection of science. Problem is when social media censors doctors, and government uses a heavy-handed approach to get people vaccinated (while making pharma legally immune from any liability) you're gonna get skepticism from part of the public. Add the Culture War on top of that and this is what you get.

You can't only criticize people when part of the problem is Crisis of Trust in institutions.

Show threadAndrew D.Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor to be fair a fair number of people are hesitant because they’re not sure who to trust or they feel lied to by the establishment. I’m somewhat sympathetic and hope to draw them to the science side. But the cynical, arrogant, or painfully stupid people orchestrating this ignorance can burn in hell. They’re literally getting people killed.
#VaccinesWork #GetVaccinated
Show threadJeffDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Media afraid to tell the truth GQP terrorism
Show threadHelchoseDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Good lord. At least call it "vaccine deniers" to be accurate.
Show threadSanityNowDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor
Completely agree! NPR just published an article calling Abbott's illegal stunt if shipping asylum seekers to the VP's house a 'tale of two governments battling each other.' This assumes that performance politics is a normal course of business. Such dreck!
Show threadChuckDzzNutzDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Do you not feel that you are only driving home one side of the narrative? Mumps and measles are one thing, but the covid vaccine is another. There is a mountain of evidence gaining momentum as to why not only should you not continue to seek them, but you probably never should have gotten one in the first place. I do not deny that both sides of the argument or the scientists themselves even, are politically driven, but at the same time the article just feels politically driven itself.
Show threadCzechmateDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor
Bless you. The subtext of nihilism is the unrefuted manipulator's dream.
Show threadAntichristDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor if someone claims to be against vaccines, it tells me that they are a follower of @Nurgle, they praise Grandfather and do all that they can to spread his pestilence
Show threadReclusive LeftistDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor
Conspiratorial antivaxxers are out of question. But There's no absolute science. Vax has a certain risk. Hesitations are understandable. So, the word "vaccine hesitancy" is a moderate journalistic word.
Show threadReclusive LeftistDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor P.S.
I've got vaxxed 4 times.
Show threadBrian Edwards-TiekertDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor this isn't euphemizing, it's the preferred usage in public health to describe the full spectrum of people who don't get vaccinated, including those who would under different circumstances (more convenient access, better information, persuasion by a trusted health provider, mandates that are burdensome to opt out of). Writing them all off as "anti-vaccine"--generally reserved for people who are rigidly opposed to all vaccination, and often prostelytize--is self-defeating.
Show threadsmtddr.bsky.socialDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor I think they're hedging their bets in case it turns out that the hesitation is justified in the future. FWIW I think the chances of that are zero. Also I think they're trying not to alienate potential readers into avoiding their articles.
Show threaddorfDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor
Well, big media is owned by very few, very wealthy people who have their own agenda, not professional journalism.. murdoch is best example UK media landscape - pushing his own views and goals.. like vote for Brexit just because EU treated him as an ordinary businessman he hated that concept so he fully supported leaving EU... Selling lies all across medias he owns...
Show threadEileen GunnDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor That phrase in the WaPo infuriated me. Shame on them!
Show threadLee MurrayDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor
Indeed Dan - they’re as dangerous (and reprehensible) as global heating deniers.
Show threadGuillaume LegoyDec 27, 2022
@dangillmor Current Twitterfile drama is amplifying this sentiment by spreading fake news under the guise of actual science and "respectful debate". We have a problem.
Show threadRev Dr Kathleen Raphael DD LPNDec 27, 2022

@dangillmor

These seems like a simple questions to me.

WHY
aren't they coming up with tests to identify the few who COULD be harmed by various inoculants & finding alterior choices to serve them?
WHY
isn't the obvious being addressed?

AS ALWAYS
certain foods or medicines might soothe or cure MY body -but- could cause allergies or adverse outcomes in YOUR body!

We know enough about medicine these days to address these concerns appropriately.
MONEY must NOT rule us anymore!!!
#ChooseLove

Show threadMichael Airhart (he/him)Dec 27, 2022
@dangillmor @drkatraphael Your “whys” are false accusations. They do have tests, and they are developing more. Obvious issues are being addressed — so you lie and say they aren’t.
Show threadRev Dr Kathleen Raphael DD LPNDec 27, 2022

@mairhart @dangillmor

Do not call me a liar. Ever.
Perhaps I'm aware of things you are not.
Perhaps you're aware of things I am not.

As a 36yr licensed nurse veteran (& counting), there's much the general populace doesn't know. And doesn't have access to.
As a 4yr bereaved parents group leader, you can't imagine the tragedies I've heard - much less fielded.
I'm a Democrat working towards inclusion.

I'm not interested in confrontation or accusations from you.
Conversation over.

#ChooseLove