Here’s an ongoing thread of some of the batshit things Right Wing Media is saying about the Coronavirus:
Tucker has been particularly conspiratorial on the Fox front.
He really wants to link it back to making xenophobia acceptable.
Like REALLY wants to talk about immigration.
Steve Bannon and his guest agree that there’s no doubt the virus was made in a lab (h/t @nooralsibai)
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Fun interlude: Virologist tells Steve Bannon his coronavirus conspiracy theory theory is from “crackpot websites” and is a “load of crap”
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Tucker has also tried to use it to promote isolationism even though his geography is off.
Fox's Melissa Francis claims Trump's trade war with China will help protect America economically from coronavirus concerns
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Fox anchor Charles Payne shifted blamed from the virus to Bernie Sanders for stock market downturn
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Tucker Carlson calls it “totally insane” to question the lack of diversity on Trump’s Coronavirus task force
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It’s been used as a way to question the expansion of public healthcare (h/t: @JasonSCampbell)
Tucker has also been instrumental in spreading the “some people are saying” conspiracy that the virus was made in a lab.
Even though people on his own show have said it’s extremely unlikely, he’s settled on ignoring them in favor of guests who lack credibility but have plenty of hot virology takes.
The debunked theory (yes debunked) has now spread to lawmakers like Tom Cotton, who has been calling for a travel ban on China. (H/t: @Acyn)
Fun interlude 2: I think it’s cool when websites combat misinformation by doing stuff like this. 
I cannot stress how terrible Fox is being about this (h/t: @revrrlewis)
The Federalist is out here doing what they do: protecting GOP talking points.
The Daily Wire a month ago was claiming that Coronavirus was no biggie, less worrisome than the flu:
Now The Daily Wire has fallen in like with conspiratorial RW narratives, even echoing claims that Bernie and not the obvious financial effects the virus has caused in China are responsible for the market downturns.
Submitted without comment:
Informative Interlude: Here’s an awesome piece from @EyesOnTheRight on how far right extremists are helping give momentum to these conspiracies:
And now the narrative is taking hold that the Coronavirus is evidence that Trump’s trade wars and xenophobia were justified. Politicizing a disease ultimately makes it harder to ensure the population is getting accurate and helpful information.
On Lou Dobbs, HHS Secretary Alex Azar downplays the number of US cases from 57 (Dobbs's graphic is also wrong) to 14. The low number excludes the passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, who are currently being quarantined at various bases and hospitals within the US.
Source on number of cases: cnn.com/asia/live-news…
He means the the theoretical wall that if existed would be made of slats and also that’s not how viruses work.
Tucker, who spent the last weeks gawking at China's aggressive, often violent, crackdown on citizens in order to contain the coronavirus now lauds China's actions as "aggressively nationalist" and a sign that it "doesn't hate itself"
The CDC today issued a statement that Americans should prepare to have their lives "disrupted" by the coronavirus? I Fox talking about prevention? What to do if you suspect you've been exposed or infected? No, they're complaining about taxpayers funding the WHO.
Tucker Carlson attacks Chelsea Clinton for having a job teaching public health at Colombia University and having an opinion about the virus. "How low are the standards?" asks Tucker about a woman with two masters who is currently working on her PhD.
Richard Goodstein says people are right to be skeptical of how an administration that regularly denies scientific fact will handle a major health outbreak.
Tucker Carlson panics and responds by accusing democrats of not believing in "sonograms."
Tucker Carlson panics and responds by accusing democrats of not believing in "sonograms."
Someone take her phone away.
I started this thread because I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep and now it will never end.
The G word.
Two things:
1. “Caronavirus”
2. We reached the “blame the media” stage a little more than 48 hours after conservative media started running the “Coronavirus panic is a plot against Trump” narrative.
1. “Caronavirus”
2. We reached the “blame the media” stage a little more than 48 hours after conservative media started running the “Coronavirus panic is a plot against Trump” narrative.
Some have made comments criticizing the President for requesting $2.5 billion to deal with the coronavirus after slashing the CDC’s global outbreak prevention programs by 80% in 2018. This now counts as unfair politicizing of the disease.
S/o to @MattGertz (not the congressman) who is going to be instrumental in tracking how Trump responds and is influenced by Fox’s coverage of the virus.
Minds are just in the gutter rn, like what does any of this accomplish to help keep people informed and safe?
Judd said it best, but they really gave Limbaugh the same medal they gave Jonas Salk
Example of good coverage interlude:
The President and government health orgs. just gave a nationally televised conference about measures that need to be taken by Americans regarding the coronavirus but Tucker would like to talk about globalism.
Tucker once again attempting to give oxygen to the debunked theory that the virus is mad made. Again, how this is helping anyone understand the risks of an outbreak is beyond me.
Kevin McCarthy says republicans refused to politicize Ebola in 2014. It’s a lie, they ran on it.
Ffs we’re really doing this?
Yes, this is real.
Fun Interlude #3: Even some of those who have participated in disinfo about the virus are starting to get nervous.
