COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW – 20/04/2020
Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC is a tragic reminder of just how essential fact-based, outspoken journalism is, especially in times of crisis. Without it, people die. In China, the lack of an independent press made it easier for the government to hide the danger of the virus, putting many more people, especially healthcare workers, at risk. In the United States, Donald Trump likewise downplayed the threat, calling it a “hoax,” but faced pushback from much of the media. By highlighting what science and medical experts say, rather than the fake controversies around it, such reporting is helping to push the US death toll lower than it otherwise would be.