Now It Is CNBC Who Joins in on the Covid Misinformation Hype

AP Photo/Hans Pennink

Just the latest example of the press pumping a headline disqualified by the content.

Recall back to last year when the press sounded grave and made it loudly clear that we should not be politicizing the pandemic? They cited concerns for the general population and that saving lives and public safety was of the highest concern for their industry. Well…today that is no longer a concern. With growing frequency, we are seeing major news outlets producing anxiety-fueled headlines about the vaccines and these are what had previously been labeled as ‘’misinformation’’.

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This latest example comes from CNBC, which gets in on the vaccine pandemic pandemonium game. In recent weeks questions have been raised over the various side-effects and the efficacy of the viral antidotes, many of these based on either misinformation or statistical ignorance. The latest concerns what is taking place right now in South America.

This sounds dramatic and confounding, but in reality what you see is the latest example of the ‘’Headline Hype Game’’, where the content of the piece completely disproves the headline. First off, you need not worry that your vaccine may not be working; relax, it is. In Chile they are not using any vaccine from American pharmaceuticals, they are administering to their citizens a Chinese drug.

There have also been questions raised about vaccine efficacy, given Chile’s widespread use of CoronaVac, the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac. 

Then, as if the headline writer did not read the article on which they were working, there are some more details to explain things.

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A study published by the University of Chile earlier this month reported that CoronaVac was 56.5% effective two weeks after the second doses were administered in the country. Crucially, however, they also reported that one dose was only 3% effective.

Barely a 50% success rate? Yea, maybe that has something to do with it. But cool of CNBC to get that alarming headline into circulation; it really helps to tamp down the anxiety levels in this country. The odd thing is this is following a pattern seen across the media spectrum of late. Recently CBS News gave us a jarring bit of headline chicanery when it claimed that the Pfizer vaccine had a similar blood clot rate as the pulled Johnson & Johnson serum. What we have to learn deeper in the piece — there is greater than a six times chance of experiencing the blood clots if you contract the virus.

CNN also played this game, telling us how 5,800 people contracted the virus after getting vaccinated. What you had to discover after spelunking the article was this number is derived from 77 million vaccines administered. This means that the vaccines are operating at a success rate of well over 99%. You would think THAT should be the headline-worthy detail, but you do not operate a news outlet reliant upon stoking Covid fears.

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It is remarkable how these same outlets who are screeching at Tucker Carlson for supposedly casting doubts on the vaccines are the very same pimping out these scare-tactic headlines. It is enough to make you sick.

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