Thread by @Ayjchan

I imagine some scientists are now praying that one of the most well-funded, prolific, cutting-edge labs in the world suddenly didn’t have the will, funding or ingenuity to follow through and expand on the SARSr-CoV engineering ideas they proposed in early 2018. #OriginsOfCovid

This is an astute observation by @zeynep

The more senior authors and signatories of @TheLancet letters and the Holmes et al. @CellCellPress paper should be approached for extended comment on the EcoHealth proposal.

https://twitter.com/zeynep/status/1441890469445718016

To do that, we really need the best of the best journalists to cover this story. @theintercept @fastlerner @MaraHvistendahl @maiahibbett and @TheAtlantic @danengber have made valiant efforts to authenticate the document and to juxtapose arguments from experts on both sides.

This is not an easy space for journalists to occupy, not just because the science itself is super complex, but also because you’ll have to grapple with the possibly more complex science ecosystem.

It’s the most challenging for experts and journalists who are primarily affiliated with fields, institutions or organizations that have, intentionally or otherwise, made it near impossible to raise doubts about the #OriginsOfCovid without facing inordinate backlash.

But it is also the experts and journalists in these positions who have the ability to solicit a response from and hold accountable key characters in this issue, and advance an accurate and fair public understanding of how this pandemic might have started.

I would describe @TheAtlantic as one of the most scientist-friendly news organizations that wouldn’t misrepresent quotes from scientists for the sake of clicks or scandal. There’s little to no reason to decline comment.

https://twitter.com/danengber/status/1442111701030158338

The same applies to @theintercept yet no response from @EcoHealthNYC “despite having answered previous queries from The Intercept about the group’s government-funded coronavirus research” or Dr Ralph Baric, a subcontractor on the grant proposal.
theintercept.com/2021/09/23/cor…

@theintercept @EcoHealthNYC Going to let the junior PIs and postdocs handle this PR disaster then...

https://twitter.com/MaraHvistendahl/status/1442166748065697795?s=20