Automotive News‘ comment sections enable denialism and conspiracies about COVID-19. This is unfortunate because the trade journal has otherwise offered good coverage of the pandemic.
For example, Automotive News recently posted a poignant story about factory workers who have died from the virus. As I post this, two out of four comments about their article are from readers who are COVID-19 denialists.
‘We have survived much worse situations’
Thomas Nellis (2020b) dismissed the COVID-19 deaths by arguing, “Maybe those that die each year from the seasonal flu, or heart disease or any other illness should be recognized as well. I am sure that those numbers would far surpass that of the coronavirus.”
Nellis is right that the COVID-19 has not reached the number of annual deaths associated with heart disease and cancer (CDC, 2020a). However, he has repeatedly suggested that COVID-19 has led to fewer deaths than the seasonal flu. This is not true.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 34,200 people died from influenza in 2018-19 (2020b). This is far lower than the number of reported deaths related to COVID-19. As of June 20, total deaths surpassed 110,000 — and still growing (CDC, 2020c).
In another comment Nellis (2020a) argued, “Things need to get back to normal. There is absolutely no justification for the response to this virus. We have survived much worse situations.” He did not explain what they were like. Was Nellis around during the pandemic of 1919?
‘Never Mask, Never Vax!’
Meanwhile, JamesDollinger (2020c) wrote that those who were diagnosed as having died from COVID-19 “more likely . . . died from 5G radiation poisoning.”
This is not a joke. In a previous story, Dollinger was asked by Blackjack (2020) whether he still thought the “5G network causes coronavirus?” Dollinger’s (2020a) response: “you better believe it causes the same symptoms and death.”
Note that Dollinger (2020b) has also stated repeatedly, “Never Mask, Never Vax!”
Why enable denialism and conspiracies?
Comments that espouse COVID-19 denialism and conspiracies put Automotive News’ editors in a bad spot. Journalists don’t tend to like being in the censorship business. Don’t readers have a right to their opinions?
Normally, yes. However, spreading false information about COVID-19 could lead to more infections — and deaths. In addition, crazy talk can scare off those who seek to join fact-based conversations.
This is another example of how Automotive News can hurt its reputation by catering to the lowest common denominator (go here for further discussion).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Blackjack; 2020. Comment in “Trump praises Ford for ventilators.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted May 21; accessed June 29.
- CDC; 2020a. “Leading Causes of Death.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 29.
- ——; 2020b. “Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States — 2018–2019 influenza season.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 29.
- ——; 2020c. “Daily Updates of Totals by Week and State.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 29.
- Jamesdollinger; 2020a. Comment in “Trump praises Ford for ventilators.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted May 21; accessed June 29.
- ——; 2020b. Comment in “In dealer ads, to wear a mask or not to wear a mask?” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted June 22; accessed June 29.
- ——; 2020c. Comment in “Virus deaths leave voids on factory floors.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted June 29; accessed June 29.
- Nellis, Thomas; 2020a. Comment in “One dealer’s take on the future of auto retailing.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted June 8; accessed June 29.
- ——; 2020b. Comment in ““Virus deaths leave voids on factory floors.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted June 29; accessed June 29.
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