Hard News: There is History
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Meanwhile, so long as we're talking about history, the top roading police offers describes New Zealand roads as the Killing Fields since having a sense of proportions is obviously not part of the job description.
And also, surely it's the "killing tarseal". How many of the 13 people that died 'on the roads' over the weekend actually died in a field?
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Do you think we can stretch to a Plague of Frog as well?
Well, I have heard that Wairoa and Gisborne have had terrible infestations of Acheta campestris (field-crickets).
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I mean, come on, the evil right wing business set does enough ACTUAL bad shit without making them responsible for flu pandemics as well.
Look, it's painfully obvious that Swine Flu is an engineered virus released by Big Banks to distract news organisations from The Current Economic Situation(tm).
OMGWTFCONSPIRACY!
But seriously, the media brouhaha over this is just stunning. Mexico is a "developing/emerging economy". As much as we wish it wouldn't be so, their level of healthcare is lower than developed economies, so they will (again unfortunately), have higher than normal exposure and mortality to this sort of thing.
So far all cases in US/NZ/etc. appear to be "recovering well". Sadly for news organisations, this means no "WAR ON THE UNWELL" banners (with explosions and waving flags) will be required.
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What if this had happened a week or so ago?
"So, professor, can you describe the symptoms for us?"
"Certainly. The first sign of the illness ...
"Sorry, have to stop you there, gotta go - and now we cross LIVE to our reporter with the latest on Tony Veitch! Amber, what can you tell us?"
"... is dizziness, a loss of balance ..."
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But seriously, the media brouhaha over this is just stunning.
Agree. I think the government response here (and, from what I've read, in Canada and the US) has been very sensible - low-level action to reduce risk and possible contact. How that turned into a hysterical media scrum I'm not quite sure.
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How that turned into a hysterical media scrum I'm not quite sure.
You used the word "media" in there - I think the question answers itself...
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Agree. I think the government response here (and, from what I've read, in Canada and the US) has been very sensible - low-level action to reduce risk and possible contact. How that turned into a hysterical media scrum I'm not quite sure.
I agree. We should all just calm down and let this play out before resorting to mass panic.
Wait... what was that? One of my workmates just coughed! OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE!
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Re the media coverage, it’s almost as if there is some feeling of national importance in that we’re at the forefront of “developed” infected countries.
We’ve got groups of potentially infected schoolkids and Australia has ... nothing.
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Could somebody kindly point me to panic in the media? Over the last twelve hours I've followed TV One, the radio, the Herald and the DomPost, and they've all been pretty measured and informative. They have a legitimate story to tell and seem to me to be largely on top of it. Or am I missing something?
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Re the media coverage, it’s almost as if there is some feeling of national importance in that we’re at the forefront of “developed” infected countries.
We’ve got groups of potentially infected schoolkids and Australia has ... nothing.
That is utterly barmy... and probably true. Ugh. Small country chip on shoulder syndrome. We're in the international news! It must be good!
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and now we cross LIVE to our reporter with the latest on Tony Veitch! Amber, what can you tell us?"
God help us all if Tony Veith gets swine flu.
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Justin Du Fresne (yes I know, silly me) made some point about Rangitoto College being the lead item on SKY Aus news bulletins.
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I look forward to OneNews crossing live from Mexicali as brave Kiwi stalwarts continue to purchase the pork quesadilla ...
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Justin Du Fresne (yes I know, silly me) made some point about Rangitoto College being the lead item on SKY Aus news bulleti
It was pretty high up in the Fox News coverage too ...
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Could somebody kindly point me to panic in the media? Over the last twelve hours I've followed TV One, the radio, the Herald and the DomPost, and they've all been pretty measured and informative. They have a legitimate story to tell and seem to me to be largely on top of it. Or am I missing something?
I agree. You absolutely can't blame the media for picking up this ball and running with it. The fact that we've got a bunch of kids (possibly) infected with a virulent strain of flu is a legitimate public interest. (I liked that they actually talked to one of them as well.)
I note that it's WHO warning about "pandemics" - the media's just the messenger. They're only doing their job and reporting the story. Health stories are catchy and it's something I, for one, would want to read about. I've been a bit taken aback at how much of the reaction has been OMG SCAREMONGERING!! when interest in this topic is entirely legitimate and reporting so far has been reasonable.
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I look forward to OneNews crossing live from Mexicali as brave Kiwi stalwarts continue to purchase the pork quesadilla ...
Budget cuts. It'll be live from the Mexican Cafe, Auckland (a short walk from TVNZ).
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Or am I missing something?
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And also, surely it's the "killing tarseal". How many of the 13 people that died 'on the roads' over the weekend actually died in a field?
Now that you mention it, how many people have ever been crushed to death by malignant tarmac? I tell you, if you survive the plague, the engineered depression and the aliens anal probing you until your brain pops out your nose... well, the demon roads will mop you up.
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Clearly we are in the first stages of the Rapture. What I want to know is, will my life insurance cover Rapture events?
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I agree. You absolutely can't blame the media for picking up this ball and running with it. The fact that we've got a bunch of kids (possibly) infected with a virulent strain of flu is a legitimate public interest. (I liked that they actually talked to one of them as well.)
I agree. It's absolutely a story and I don't see anyone particularly panicking.
I note that it's WHO warning about "pandemics" - the media's just the messenger.
Quite. I watched the CDC briefing online this morning. The apparent characteristics of this virus make any outbreak potentially very serious. Hopefully there's not much to worry about, but it's certainly not a non-event.
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brave Kiwi stalwarts continue to purchase the pork quesadilla
I first thought Morning Report were being a bit obtuse when they asked the virologist guy whether this was going to hit pork sales, but they were effectively giving him a straight line to explain how you don't catch the flu from cooked food. No doubt there are people who could do with that bit of info, with recent health panics being more to do with food-borne illness than contagious diseases. Misinformation thrives in a panic.
There are plenty of reasons to be cautious about the quesadillas, but swine flu isn't one of them.
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Could somebody kindly point me to panic in the media?
I don't know if it's panic. TV3 ran special 5 minute news reports at 8pm, and again at 8.30 last night. So it's not ordinary news coverage, but maybe that's fair enough.
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Could somebody kindly point me to panic in the media? ...
Not a lot of panic, but many unnecessary live crosses to reporters. TVONE crossed to a reporter outside Rangitoto College - "There's no-one at school at 6 o'clock on a Sunday night" I yelled at the TV. I don't know why he didn't just stay in the studio.
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The same virologist thought that it wouldn't hit pandemic proportions...
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/04/27/1245aac4c00c
and that New Zealand was well placed to counter such an outbreak.Maybe being a world leader in this case isn't so bad. I do note that most of the people the USA and here have already recovered or are the road to recovery... Fingers crossed
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Completely off topic, but Dunedin Public Address people got together again on Friday night for drinking and food. Our... 4th gathering? Good fun and Chinese food.
Paul set up an email list for Dunedinistas which anyone else in the area is welcome to subscribe to. I'm sure it'll be very low traffic, possibly notices of local events of interest, and organising more get-togethers.
Further off topic, is there a reason I haven't been able to find a PA facebook group? Beyond "there isn't one". Seemed to me like it would be a good addition parallel to the site.
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