Thread from a month ago.
https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1232352734990520331 …
-
-
It's going to be like the 2016 election, isn't it? Many journalists did amazing reporting since, but there really hasn't been any systematic reckoning among traditional media and punditry about their own role in all of it. (They'll talk about the tech part, though). So with this.
14 replies 104 retweets 541 likesShow this thread -
zeynep tufekci Retweeted Jay Rosen
Yep. Lack of reflection among media and pundits that made all this so much worse is mindblowing. All of February, I watched people locally use those “what about the flu/travel bans don’t work/don’t overreact” articles to decide go on trips and conferences.https://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1242647591990562816 …
zeynep tufekci added,
6 replies 58 retweets 233 likesShow this thread -
Replying to @zeynep
The media coverage on this story has been not without flaws. But pretty good on balance as compared to most other major stories of recent years. Doing journalism in real time is hard. But I guess when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
11 replies 1 retweet 30 likes -
Replying to @NateSilver538
This just isn't true. There have been widespread "worry about the flu" articles; focus on travel bans as racist rather than if they were early or severe enough (they weren't), tons of articles telling people not to "overreact"—right up until March. Long, long past uncertainty.
1 reply 2 retweets 50 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @NateSilver538
Yes, journalism in real time is hard, that's why it should be done with people who are qualifed and more importantly, learn from their mistakes. People went on with conferences and Disney trips because of those articles. Plus, there is still no "speaking truth to power" on masks.
1 reply 3 retweets 44 likes -
Replying to @zeynep
I don't know. I, as an alert reader of media coverage, have been worried about this for a long time, as my friends/colleagues would be happy to tell you. The coverage has been pretty science-driven. The focus on the political aspect of it has been fairly proportionate.
7 replies 2 retweets 45 likes -
Replying to @NateSilver538 @zeynep
Uncertainty amidst something growing at exponential rates is both hard to understand and hard to convey to readers—I get that. I'm just tired of this constant hindsight bias when journalists don't have that luxury.
8 replies 2 retweets 25 likes -
Replying to @NateSilver538
It isn't hindsight bias, though. People who had no business reassuring us reassured us falsely and unscientifically. I trace that in my article. In early February, we had everything in place to 1-Recommend stopping travel/cancelling gatherings. 2-Tell people to get ready.
2 replies 1 retweet 41 likes -
This Tweet is unavailable.
There was enough reporting to put the pieces together, plus the scientific papers, and some of the reporting is excellent. Go through the op-ed pages though, and weep. I did. Go through the explainers and the curator type pieces with advice, and weep. That's what people read.
-
-
This Tweet is unavailable.
-
Opinion and punditry is what drives behavior. People cannot possibly be expected to read scientific papers, all the reports, find epidemiologists on Twitter, follow Hong Kong/Taiwan health authorities and direct Wuhan reporting. (That's what I did but that's not the standard!)
0 replies 0 retweets 4 likes
End of conversation
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.