And all those distorted photo angles, the lenses that make it look more crowded than it actually is? Way to lose trust and messaging power. My mentions are full of people telling me a ventilator is waiting for me. Unscientific scaremongering doesn’t have potency though.
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Yes Princeton, NJ known for *checks notes* its lack of beaches. Either that, or everybody kept a really solid secret from me the year I spent at Princeton University. But whatever, bring on the beach scolding.pic.twitter.com/qPImdhhmXG
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95% of COVID deaths in Sweden are from people over 60, and almost 70% are from people over 80 mostly because Sweden did a terrible job protecting nursing homes and the elderly. What's the picture in the NYT Sweden article? Young people outdoors—among the least risky activities.pic.twitter.com/DLKSkTwq7s
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Young people getting infected in CA are often low-wage essential workers or people who go to indoor bars/parties. Naturally, LATimes picks one of the least risky activities locals can do to illustrate “risk.” Gee, I wonder why public health messaging isn’t getting through.
pic.twitter.com/HafdMvtCKM
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Text: The common denominator of the cases were that transmission happened indoors in restaurants and bars! Photo editor: "how about some people in bathing suits?" Someone? "Yes, sure go for it, we are here to misinform."https://twitter.com/hichaelmart/status/1282388807573295104 …
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California is closing indoor restaurants and bars because the data show that’s where transmission occurs, along with workplaces. Of course, bring on the beach photos—there is not a single confirmed significant outbreak at a beach, but why let that stop us? https://twitter.com/xxiborza/status/1282814799152218112 …
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Narrator: It's been months and there is NOT ONE KNOWN SUPERSPREADER EVENT IN A BEACH which makes sense because of sun & wind. Way to misinform, Washington Post photo editor. At this rate, we can't organize our way out of a paper bag, let alone a pandemic.https://twitter.com/suzyji/status/1284604361453297671 …
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Article: "Superspreader events are indoors". Also article: "Top expert says he avoids buses and takes his walks by the sea." Photo editor: "We put photo of a beach, right?". Good job,
@washingtonpost.
pic.twitter.com/GmWOoY3gzv
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The inordinate focus on beaches is unscientific, counter-productive (scaring people away from safe outdoor activities) and, worse, hides the true dangers and real victims of this pandemic. Such a big failure, and there seem to be no way to stop it.https://twitter.com/RanuDhillon/status/1284883221289689089 …
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Yes, let’s illustrate the crisis with widely-spaced people outdoors in a vast and sunny beach,
@business. Very, very informative.pic.twitter.com/RrxmtrwkAs
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Doctors report that many of those infected with COVID are essential workers, many people of color, living in crowded housing. What does media fixate on? Young people doing safe and good things (outdoors, distanced exercise.) Triple whammy: erase victims, moralize, misinform.pic.twitter.com/HAzUaZ7XxP
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Good one,
@sfchronicle. Story is about *contact-tracing*. The photo is ::drumroll:: a telephoto beach picture from *two-months ago* where the caption even says what everyone can see: people are spread apart. These visuals are misinformation. h/t@sethjbermanpic.twitter.com/N5qxZrbZOk
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Answering not to dunk, but to show the detrimental effects of misinformation. Months of research shows prolonged close contact (many minutes) in poorly-ventilated, indoor settings is driving the pandemic. Not a single known superspreader event in beaches. https://twitter.com/goobisgoofy/status/1285261006848110592 …
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This is a Pareto Pandemic. A small category of events in specific settings—indoors, crowded, close-quarters, talking/breathing—are driving most of it, along with later household spread. Being misinformed with the non-stop beach/park photos makes it hard to do the right thing.
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I'm just trying to imagine a less appropriate picture to indicate the need for and the struggle over masks and failing! WTH
@washingtonpost? Seriously, this obsession with beach pictures has moved beyond misinformation into something pathological. h/t@makingarecordpic.twitter.com/bT9sBkQjDX
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The idea that we can merely rely on strengthening traditional media to fight misinformation is naive. No joke. Many top media outlets are engaged in a persistent campaign of visual misinformation (the most powerful kind) about COVID risks (which aren't beaches). h/t
@dbchhbrpic.twitter.com/GE4M09DysY
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We screwed up the testing infrastructure so badly that people are waiting two weeks to get their results. Surely,
@Oregonian, it's the fault of these people undertaking an enjoyable, safe activity! By having fun safely, they've caused the labs to come to a halt. h/t@joeahandpic.twitter.com/NfANTDfOKC
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Yes,
@BBCNews, articles about Sweden and COVID must be illustrated by ... a beach picture, as Sweden is famous for beaches driving the pandemic! (The epidemiologists are all lying when they say there isn't a single known superspreader event on a beach). (ht@geunsmeyer)pic.twitter.com/Yo3YOYJ7ML
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You'd think this virus exclusively lives on beaches and preys on anyone daring to enjoy them. If they want to illustrate travel risks, isn't there a single picture of a bar, an indoor party or any of those things that we know are high risk? But hey can't compete with bikini pics!pic.twitter.com/bvqdz9qW70
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I agree. Doctors are reporting emergency rooms full of "essential workers"—basically low-wage and largely non-white younger people who got forced back to indoors work or their family members. But media is stuck on moralizing about beaches. Misinformation.https://twitter.com/monkey_pasta/status/1287196060620853249 …
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This was the Boston Globe headline, by the way, to add to the thread of shame. People going to the beach, especially in or near the town they already live in, is a safe and healthy activity. How about we focus on the risks, the essential workers and the colleges about to open.pic.twitter.com/Qpk7Bn1g2l
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So
@JuliaLMarcus is absolutely correct. For the New York Times to use visuals of perhaps the three safest but fun activities—a beach, a park, and a drive-through movie, as a photo for virus’s resurgence is straight up misinformation. And it’s pathological.https://twitter.com/julialmarcus/status/1289984383378546689 …
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This
@bloomberg article is... about indoor parties. The photo, on the other hand, is pure misinformation. The people are *outside* in circles, spread apart far more than even the guidelines! What is this media obsession with scolding people doing the right thing? ht@leonhjavipic.twitter.com/giucryDaY2
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Misleading beach photos are harmful misinformation from traditional media. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT AN *INDOOR* PARTY OF 100+ THAT WAS BUSTED. GUESS WHERE PEOPLE GO IF YOU KICK THEM OFF THESE SAFE BEACHES—WHERE THERE IS NOT A SINGLE KNOWN OUTBREAK. Maddening.
ht @sheena_burgesspic.twitter.com/GOVUMAQqC3
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Ah. It makes sense now! By misinforming everyone about the simple fact that beaches & backyards are the most sensible places to socialize, we fool young ones into thinking they're rebelling and "breaking quarantine" when they're actually being sensible.

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This, from April, may be the platonic ideal of beach misinformation plus victim erasure. It simultaneously erases the reality that poorer/non-white people less able to work from home and isolate are suffering more while *also* using the safest looking beach photo I can imagine.pic.twitter.com/Ri4rXzqEc2
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Another terrible entry in the misinformation thread of shame. Yes, younger people are dying more in Florida but not because of the beaches. They're dying because they are "essential" but low-wage workers—also disproportionately non-white. ht
@dylanhmorris https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/11/us/virus-young-deaths.html …pic.twitter.com/vSZnUwFQTe
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I have no words for this one. It’s not scolding but it just shows how so much of our actions aren’t really evidence-based.https://twitter.com/vprasadmdmph/status/1294648527956500480 …
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If you're a media outlet, seems you cannot stop from cynically spreading visual misinformation about what's actually high-risk for spreading COVID—not the activity pictured here: many actual victims are poorer, low-wage "essential" workers or nursing homes/prisons. ht
@theturnerpic.twitter.com/0jrxJIKxq4
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This is genuinely infuriating. We should be *encouraging* people to take advantage of the vast open spaces that beaches offer, and provide proper guidance and rules for ancillary activities (like indoors dining!) that are actually unsafe.https://twitter.com/DiseaseEcology/status/1295598186375987203 …
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