Category Archives: News Media

Many Respectable Pundits Have Always Been Horrible

Posted on February 17, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Since today is busy, I’ll just point you to this thread by some asshole with a blogTwitter feed. There have always been bigoted pundits who defend acceptable bigotries, just as there have always been horrible MAGA CHUD types (even if … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Human Decency, News Media | 3 Comments

Actuaries, Insurers, and Long COVID

Posted on February 9, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Oh my? It is a stunning indictment of our public health system that the one group I don’t think is trying to gaslight us on long COVID isn’t our federal public health officials, but actuaries. From that well-known socialist news … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19, Economics, News Media | 2 Comments

The Washington Post Editorial Board Wants to Sicken Its Readers

Posted on January 31, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

For tax revenue, no less. In another post, if I’m motivated enough, I’ll discuss some of the absurd justifications the Washington Post makes for forcing federal workers back to the office full-time, but in this post I want to discuss … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19, Fucking Morons, News Media | 13 Comments

Assuaging Rural Rage

Posted on January 30, 2023 by mikethemadbiologist

Paul Krugman writes (boldface mine): Rural resentment has become a central fact of American politics — in particular, a pillar of support for the rise of right-wing extremism. As the Republican Party has moved ever further into MAGAland, it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Democrats, News Media | 4 Comments

The Downside of Internet Fragmentation

Posted on December 21, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

Noah Smith has an interesting piece about the (possible, ongoing) demise of Twitter and how social media is becoming more fragmented (boldface mine): From Twitter, however, there seemed to be no exit. Where would you go? If you were a … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media, TWEET!!! | 2 Comments

Masking and Communications

Posted on December 8, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

To follow up on Tuesday’s post about the CDC very tentatively asking people to mask, the legacy media have a role to play here too. There’s no reason why they couldn’t have led with headlines like “Faced with hospitalization surge, … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19, Fucking Morons, News Media | 1 Comment

The ‘Newsweek-ifcation’ of Twitter

Posted on November 28, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

I have no idea what will become of Twitter or how I will be using it. Elongated Muskrat’s embrace of noxious conspiracism and bigotry* is making it harder for me to use it; on the other hand, that he is … Continue reading →

Posted in News Media, TWEET!!! | Comments Off on The ‘Newsweek-ifcation’ of Twitter

Fox News Convinced Its Viewers to Avoid Vaccination

Posted on October 10, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

So it would appear (boldface mine): COVID-19 vaccines have reduced infections and hospitalizations across the globe, yet resistance to vaccination remains strong. This paper investigates the role of cable television news in vaccine hesitancy and associated local vaccination rates in … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, COVID-19, Fucking Morons, News Media | 3 Comments

We Need to Start Thinking About Editorial Boards

Posted on July 7, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

Over the last week, the op-ed page of the New York Times (NYT) turned into a conflagrant trash receptacle, even more so than usual. Much of the well deserved ire was aimed at an anti-trans column that was barely disguised … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, News Media | Comments Off on We Need to Start Thinking About Editorial Boards

Two Questions That Likely Won’t Be Asked at Tomorrow’s COVID Task Force Press Conference

Posted on May 17, 2022 by mikethemadbiologist

Because the political press corps, which will be featured front and center, knows nothing about the topic at hand, and thus sucks at its job (though I suppose that’s par for the course akshually!). Anyway, tomorrow the COVID Task Force … Continue reading →

Posted in COVID-19, News Media | 1 Comment