From COVID-19 misinformation to the myths surrounding the climate crisis, the cracks in the mainstream media’s narrative are starting to show
Journalistic objectivity, curiosity, skepticism, and neutrality seem to be on the decline. It’s not just how quickly and aggressively the opinion pages of most news organizations dismiss challenges to establishment narratives – it’s of even more concern that the so-called ‘news’ side often does the same, instantly rejecting or contradicting anything that doesn’t align with what government officials or their allies are saying.
We saw this play out clearly during COVID-19, where misinformation was sometimes presented as fact. Many of the ‘facts’ turned out to be wrong, and those pushing them often knew better. A prime example was the long-standing claim that Covid first jumped to humans in a Wuhan’ wet market.’ This story was pushed for years, likely because some thought it sounded less ‘racist’ than the idea of a lab leak from the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology. Conveniently, this also shielded those involved in the research, including some in the U.S. government who helped fund it.
Other misleading ideas during COVID-19 included the exaggerated fatality rate, which was actually about 0.3 percent, mainly affecting older people with multiple health conditions. The idea that two-metre social distancing could stop transmission or that everyone was at equal risk was also misleading. In reality, kids and young adults had minimal risk, while the elderly and those with obesity faced much higher dangers.
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Claims that lockdowns would stop transmission or that vaccines would completely prevent illness and stop the virus from spreading also proved false. And the belief that cloth and surgical masks were protective, or that vaccines were better than natural immunity, didn’t hold up. Perhaps the biggest myth of all was that health authorities were fully in control and knew what they were doing.
Even though we’d faced earlier infectious disease scares like SARS in 2003, West Nile, Zika, MERS, Ebola, and Dengue Fever, experts still weren’t adequately prepared in terms of information, protocols, procedures, facilities, equipment, personnel, or supplies.
Other myths, like the idea that massive Covid-panic spending wouldn’t lead to inflation or that inflation was just ‘transitory,’ are still causing problems. Supporters of Modern Monetary Theory encouraged governments and central banks to print money to fund stimulus programs and handouts. Critics who warned that Canada’s government-run healthcare system was heading for disaster are now being proven right.
Another establishment talking point that’s crumbling is the Climate Crisis narrative. The loudest voices claim that the Earth’s supposedly rapid warming is an ‘existential threat.’ This idea is used to justify all sorts of drastic measures, no matter how damaging or costly.
What gets overlooked are practical solutions, like moving away from coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels, strengthening infrastructure, improving fireproofing, increasing water supplies, adapting agricultural practices, adjusting outdoor work hours, and expanding air conditioning use.
For over 30 years, predictions of rapid warming have been exaggerated. In fact, more people still die from cold than heat. The idea that carbon dioxide is ‘evil’ is another falsehood – it’s actually vital for plant growth and boosts crop yields.
Climate activists also promote the idea that solar and wind energy can reliably and affordably replace fossil fuels, even though this has been proven false time and again. Yet, it continues to be backed by politicians and the media. A good example is the push for heat pumps to replace gas furnaces, even though they are more expensive to buy and run compared to natural gas furnaces.
A similar myth is that ‘green’ or anti-hydrocarbon Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investment funds outperform regular stock market indexes. This, too, has been debunked.
The score so far? ‘Conspiracy Theorists ’ are racking up points, while Authority Figures and the Mainstream Media have yet to score.
Stay skeptical.
Ian Madsen is the Senior Policy Analyst at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
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