As Helen Lovejoy would say …
Posted on Wednesday 26th September 2007
The British press were in full-blown hysteria over reports of an increased incidence of “allergies” yesterday. Quite apart from the misuse of the word allergy to describe everything from a mild case of hayfever to life-threatening anaphylaxis, I’m more irritated by labelling the report an epidemic. While this label strictly speaking isn’t incorrect it has been used for shock value rather than information.
This sort of alarmist reportage with overuse of hyperbole is unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst. Not too long ago the press was agog with doomsday warnings of the imminent bird flu pandemic. Unsurprisingly this hasn’t translated into a global catastrophe on the same scale as the Spanish Flu pandemic. However that didn’t stop Roche getting rich as Western governments, including the UK one, stockpiled millions of doses of Tamiflu.
I know people have been numbed by a diet of 30 second soundbites and pre-watershed violence, but the press does have a duty of responsible journalism. Reporting every little statistical blip as an apocalyptic nightmare will only cause apathy and ambivalence when a genuine crisis does occur.
Hi Ric guess you like the simpsons Dow