New research explores how conservative media misinformation may have intensified the severity of the pandemic

[caddieman]

We are receiving an incredible number of studies and solid data showing that consuming far-right media and social media content was strongly associated with low concern about the virus at the onset of the pandemic,” said Irene Pasquetto, chief editor of the Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review, which published one of the studies.

 

 

Misinformation and conspiracy theories

In April, Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Dolores Albarracin of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign published a peer-reviewed study examining how Americans’ media diets affected their beliefs about the coronavirus.

Administering a nationally representative phone survey with 1,008 respondents, they found that people who got most of their information from mainstream print and broadcast outlets tended to have an accurate assessment of the severity of the pandemic and their risks of infection. But those who relied on conservative sources, such as Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories or unfounded rumors, such as the belief that taking vitamin C could prevent infection, that the Chinese government had created the virus, and that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exaggerated the pandemic’s threat “to damage the Trump presidency.”

 

These findings held even after controlling for viewers’ political affiliation, education, gender and age.

The authors pinpoint several examples of misinformation circulating in conservative media. For example, on March 6, Fox medical contributor Marc Siegel stated on Hannity’s popular evening program that “the virus should be compared to the flu. Because at worst, at worst, worst-case scenario it could be the flu.”

Similarly, in February, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) appeared on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures” to suggest, without evidence, that the virus was connected to a research laboratory in Wuhan, China.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/25/fox-news-hannity-coronavirus-misinformation/

[8th ID]

I don’t guess all of the riots and marches had anything to do with it.

[nstoolman1]

I did not take my medical advice from talk radio. Nor did I take it from the so called "experts" that gave us " Don't wear masks, wear masks" . I took it from Drs that have done studies on killing viruses and what vitamins suppress or kill viruses in the body. 

Vitamin C in high doses (15,000 mg a day)  suppress a whole lot of bad things in our body. It makes our blood cells stronger and less pervious to invasion. Quinine also is good. Vitamin D is another. Say what you will, poo poo the rest I believe a vitamin rich environment

prevents desease.  I am not saying the "cure" anything just good prevention.

 

 

 

I also don't trust any organization that has a dog in this fight.

Anyone who has an opinion that might benefit from this should be checked for their source of income. 

[MyLadiesDaddy]

[ChuckFinley]

You are so right LGD. I had to laugh because I have not watch any tv since 2008. I have learned more from doing my own research and joining groups like DV. These groups have the same interest as I do and people there do their own research and share it to the betterment of everyone.  

[caddieman]

Fox News Cuts Ties With Diamond & Silk, Unofficial Trump ‘Advisers’ Who Spread Bonkers Coronavirus Claims

Diamond & Silk have used their heavy social-media presence to be at the forefront of right-wing misinformation about the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, during their March 30 livestream, the duo claimed that the number of American coronavirus deaths has been inflated to make Trump look bad.

“What I need to know is how many people have passed away in New York, and what I need to know is: Who has the bodies?” Diamond asked. “I need for somebody that does investigative work to call the morgues. To call the funeral homes. We need to know, because I don't trust anything else that comes out of his mouth now... Something's not right here. Something is off here.”

She added: “Is this being deliberately spread? Look, I’m not being a conspiracy theorist, this is real, but I’m asking my own questions. What the hell is going on?"

 

A day after Diamond and Silk’s last Fox Nation episode was posted online, Twitter removed a postfrom the pro-Trump sisters calling for people to expose themselves to the virus that has now killed more than 55,000 Americans. “The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment,” the since-deleted tweet read. “Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick!”

They followed up that deleted tweet with an April 10 live stream that featured the pair pushing even more unhinged conspiracies and dangerous commentary, such as saying they’ll refuse to take any coronavirus vaccine that tech giant Bill Gates was involved in because he’s pushing for “population control.”

“Kudos if you make your vaccines for people and you want to help people,” Diamond exclaimed. “But I have a problem receiving any vaccine from any entity, especially anybody like Bill Gates who pushed for population control. The same thing that Margaret Sanger pushed for.”

“Abortions! Genocide!” Silk shouted in response.

During the same broadcast, they also openly wondered whether 5G technology was being used to infect people with coronavirus in an effort to fill “empty” hospitals, suggesting that the “deep state snakes” were building towers in certain areas to “turn things on and off to make sure that certain things go down so those hospital beds can be filled?” Conspiracy theories linking coronavirus and 5Ghave gained more momentum lately in fringe far-right media.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-cuts-ties-with-diamond-and-silk

[nstoolman1]

Good questions. 

Stuff does not add up and it is to coincidental. Masks on, masks off, masks on. Masks on 3 months into the situation is like wearing a condom at the baby shower. Makes no sense.

[8th ID]

5 hours ago, caddieman said:

the duo claimed that the number of American coronavirus deaths has been inflated to make Trump look bad.

I believe this as well. I know first hand, one gentleman had a coworker get it. Everyone in the office was sent home and arrangements were made for testing. Well, he tested positive a few days later. Never showed any symptoms. A few days after that, a "contact tracer" came to his door and asked him a few questions. He was asked how many people were in the house, and he told them my wife and 4 kids. The tracer wrote 6 down on the sheet. He asked what the was for and she told him that they were counting 6 six the virus. He told them his family hasn't been tested. She said it didn't matter, that is how they are counting it.

 

This is not right. I have seen other reports as well. I know the "first CV death" in a neighboring county was a man that had a crash on his motorcycle. He was not wearing a helmet and had head trauma. He died two days later, but because he was tested when he came into the hospital and tested positive, his death was ruled it was by CV-19. According to family he never showed any signs. There are some serious problems with all of this, and it is not the virus.

[cranman]

No matter what side your on, each side believes in some  conspiracy theory.   Just ask the opposing  side.  They will tell you  you're crazy.  We have so many so called " smart people "  on this site you would think there would be more independent thinkers. But they more they ' discuss " an issue the  farther Left or Right they move.   Just like our government.  We even managed  to politicize mask wearing! It's simply amazing how stubborn people can be simply because they identify as a crazy Republican or  an insane Democrat. The more you tell someone they are wrong the more they stick to their story and say you're wrong. For every "correct" piece of  information presented in an argument an opposing " correct" piece of information can be presented as a counter point.

 

The whole idea of compromise has gone out the window. The price of freedom I guess. The freedom of speech is a good thing but gets perverted by the media, souless government officials and celebrities who want to feel good about themselves and get love from adoring fans.

 

The world sits and watches us, scratches their head and says " how are they still in one piece". Lol. 

 

No matter which side gets elected in November we can count on more phony congressional inquiries,  impeachments processes and over all obstruction of governing the nation for the benefit of the people. 

 

We allowed it. Now we reap what we sowed.

 

Man, I love a good whiskey. So invigorating. Ha!

[nstoolman1]

What makes you say we are not independent thinkers? Because we don't follow your narrative? Are you saying the numbers are not cooked? Because if you do, you are drinking the koolaid of false numbers. We have friends in Calif that have relayed this very thing. 

There are Drs reporting this very thing. 

[Indraman]

1 hour ago, nstoolman1 said:

What makes you say we are not independent thinkers? Because we don't follow your narrative? Are you saying the numbers are not cooked? Because if you do, you are drinking the koolaid of false numbers. We have friends in Calif that have relayed this very thing. 

There are Drs reporting this very thing. 

 

The number of deaths are inflated, because they are counting everything as a COVID-19 death, even if there were other factors. Most of the time they classify the death as "COVID-19, With Complications". Also, the total number of people who have had Covid-19 is seriously under-reported. This is a known fact, because how many times have they stated that many people are asymptomatic, and didn't know they ever had the virus.

 

I will argue the kill rates are closer to the common flu, around 0.2 - 0.4%

 

Indy

Edited July 3, 2020 by Indraman

[cranman]

7 hours ago, nstoolman1 said:

What makes you say we are not independent thinkers? Because we don't follow your narrative? Are you saying the numbers are not cooked? Because if you do, you are drinking the koolaid of false numbers. We have friends in Calif that have relayed this very thing. 

There are Drs reporting this very thing. 

Probably the wrong forum to put my rant in.  I don't get involved too much in the numbers and who dies from what because people will say " I'm drinking from the kool aid" because I may not agree with them . You have friends that say one and I can go out and find articles that say exactly the opposite thing with studies to prove I'm right.  That was my point of the rant.  I don't care if you don't believe what I believe is the correct number or whether to wear a mask or not etc, etc. You're not going to change your mind and everything I say will push you to stick to your opinion even more.   

 

Just saying.

[8th ID]

@cranman and @Indraman, I believe you are both right. I have seen and heard the same arguments from both sides. The truth is out there somewhere and we have to find it. Like I said, I have seen and heard the numbers are being inflated. I also agree that as more and more show a positive test with asymptomatic signs that the death rate falls in line with the flu. However, this is not a natural occurring virus. It was manufactured in a lab and that has been proven by the markers it contains. That is what gives me concern because we really don’t know how it will react and mutate in the future. I can tell you there are a lot of things that don’t add up with this whole scenario. Until we figure it out we should protect ourselves somehow. We don’t even have a vaccine yet, what is it gonna be like when that comes out? I have not got a flu vaccine in 10 years and guess what, I haven’t had the flu. I know people that get the vaccine and they get the flu. Who is gonna run out a get the vaccine for this? I am definitely hesitant about it, especially knowing that this was genetically engineered. We have a long road ahead of us with this mess. My answer for it and the only one I can trust about it is GOD Almighty.

[Indraman]

8 hours ago, Indraman said:

 

The number of deaths are inflated, because they are counting everything as a COVID-19 death, even if there were other factors. Most of the time they classify the death as "COVID-19, With Complications". Also, the total number of people who have had Covid-19 is seriously under-reported. This is a known fact, because how many times have they stated that many people are asymptomatic, and didn't know they ever had the virus.

 

I will argue the kill rates are closer to the common flu, around 0.2 - 0.4%

 

Indy

 

We just had our 93rd state-wide death...notice how they classified it!

 

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2020/07/assisted-living-facility-resident-is-eastern-idahos-third-covid-19-death/

 

And I quote, "...The man, who is in his 80s, was a resident of the Willows Retirement and Assisted Living Facility, where at least one staff member has also tested positive for COVID-19. Southeastern Idaho Public Health reports the man also had underlying health conditions that were a contributing factor in the death."

 

What were the conditions?

 

Indy

Edited July 3, 2020 by Indraman