Came across this tweet the other day: “Vox, a ‘science’ worshipping explanatory news site, told us that COVID wouldn’t become a pandemic (wrong), masks don’t work (wrong), travel restrictions don’t work (wrong), and the Lab Leak theory is a debunked conspiracy theory (wrong).” The tweet closed with this suggestion: “This website should be out of business.”
To be honest with you, I’d kind of forgotten about Vox, which isn’t my fault. Vox lost its impact years ago when it chose social justice over facts.
Nevertheless, when I saw that tweet, I was kind of surprised. Is it possible anyone got everything about the China Virus this wrong? Is it possible any outlet that purports to be a serious news and science-based information site got everything this wrong?
Yep.
And what I found was even worse… Never has a “science-based” website been so certain while being so wrong…
Check it out…
- Vox — January 31, 2020:
“What is this #coronavirus? It’s part of a family of viruses that attack the respiratory system. Should I travel during the outbreak? The CDC and the State Department advise avoiding China for now. Is this going to be a deadly pandemic? No.”
How wrong was that? Vox deleted the tweet.
- Vox — March 2, 2020:
“Oh, and face masks? You can pass on them. Masks are only useful if you have a respiratory infection already and want to limit the risk of spreading, or if you’re working in a hospital in direct contact with people who have respiratory illnesses.”
How wrong was that? Vox deleted the tweet.
- Vox — January 23, 2020:
“The evidence on travel bans for diseases like coronavirus is clear: They don’t work. They’re political theater, not good public policy. ”
How wrong was that? It took 16 months, but Vox finally admitted it in an editor’s note (I don’t link fake news) that says, “Editor’s note, April 22, 2021: This article, published in January 2020, does not reflect the emerging science around travel restrictions to prevent the spread of epidemics.”
- Vox — March 4, 2020:
“The conspiracy theories about the origins of the coronavirus, debunked[.] Rumor is the coronavirus started in a Chinese lab. Here’s how we know it didn’t.”
How wrong was that? Ahem.
We all get things wrong, but look at how absolutely certain and smug Vox was while being 100 percent wrong, while spreading disinformation, while misinforming its gullible readers.
That’s the real problem with the overall corporate media today… It’s never about truth or passing along information… If you look at Vox’s absolute certainty, it is either based on the hubristic arrogance of posing as an authority or based on a partisan desire (lab leak, travel ban) to own the conservatives.
There’s also a gaslighting element to this. Of course, masks work. We can debate over how much and if that amount justifies mandates, but, of course, masks work. Of course, travel bans work. Of course, they do. These are common sense ideas, and Vox is trying to abuse whatever influence it has to tell us something every bit as absurd as the Law of Gravity has been debunked.
Whether it’s Vox, CNNLOL, NBC News, the New York Times, or the Washington Post, this is what I don’t get about the left… I get the initial attraction to these left-wing outlets. Of course, I do. They share your worldview. But how many times do you have to be lied to and misinformed before you drop them? There are plenty of right-leaning outlets I’ve drifted away from because of one terrible prediction after another or after feeling misled.
Why do leftists keep fake news outlets guilty of serially misleading and misinforming them in business?
Vox is a joke. On the single most important issue of 2020, Vox got it all wrong. All of it.
Only someone who enjoys being played for a fool would click on that clown show again.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.