1/18 This piece is why journalists w/o vaccine reporting experience shouldn’t do hot takes. Despite good intentions, its inept & irresponsible execution make it dangerous. Claiming (falsely) that public health experts are being dishonest w public isn’t how you promote a vaccine.https://twitter.com/DLeonhardt/status/1351211925816946695 …
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2/18 The author does morning newsletters for
@nytimes & reviewing his work shows he hasn't reported much on vaccines or hesitancy—and it blatantly shows. He begins in the worst possible way: discussing guidance on masks. Here’s why that is such a dangerous start to his article.2 replies 9 retweets 112 likesShow this thread -
3/18 A) Masks are still a very divisive article, esp politically. That’s not ok, but that makes comparing vaccine messaging to mask messaging stupidly dangerous right off. B) He’s wrong: there was more to early mask guidance than “not trusting the public.”
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4/18 I’ve covered reasons for mask guidance in the past & won’t hash it out here (where it’ll go off the rails). C) His whole premise that public health experts haven’t being honest with the public in the past AND NOW aren’t again with the vaccine is RIDICULOUS AND DANGEROUS.
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5/18 The headline is good: perhaps we are underselling the vaccine. But the article only gives people more reasons to be distrustful of public health. Journalists w experience in vaccine reporting know what feeds vaccine hesitancy & this article’s narrative is a big part of it.
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6/18
@DLeonhardt writes “Once again, the experts don’t seem to trust the public to hear the full truth.” THAT LANGUAGE IS A DOG WHISTLE FOR ANTI-VAX ADVOCATES. I know Leonhardt isn’t dog whistling—but his ignorance in reporting on this subject is why he makes this mistake.2 replies 21 retweets 227 likesShow this thread
Holy hell! That’s about as horrible a message you can convey when reporting about vaccines. Totally antivax dog whistling, as anyone with familiarity with the antivaccine movement would know and would know not to write.

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Replying to @gorskon @DLeonhardt
Exactly. I was a bit stunned when I read that sentence.
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