https://expose-news.com/2023/01/10/corporate-medias-trust-the-experts-and-other-lies/
New Zealanders have recently been provided with an interesting opportunity to observe corporate media squirm with discomfort, demonstrate blind faith, ignorance and lack of curiosity, obfuscate, omit and fabricate as well as let slip a few truths. And all this with respect to a tiny baby with the most piercing and wise blue eyes.
Journalists ignore and dismiss lawyer’s and scientist’s analysis
By New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS”)
The Reasonable Concerns of Baby W’s Parents
Baby W needed heart surgery and his parents were asking for the precautionary principle to apply and wanted their son to have blood from donors who had not been vaccinated against covid-19. Not because they were convinced the blood was dangerous, but because there was a possibility that there could be problems with the blood and there was a safer alternative.
They had reasonable questions and concerns that were not addressed satisfactorily by the medical professionals involved in his case.
“Trust the experts”
The family engaged the services of lawyer Sue Grey, who was somewhat reluctantly interviewed by a few mainstream media “journalists.” Media Watch on Sunday seemed to admit that censorship can only go so far and perhaps censoring the lawyer involved in a case might overstep the mark: “It was probably not realistic to ban Grey from media appearances under those circumstances.”
Some journalists, therefore, had to step up to the plate and do the deed. Corin Dann on Morning Report had a go and got increasingly agitated as he tried repeatedly to insist that, as he and Sue were both lay people, they should just trust the experts and not consider or discuss the questions.
“There is no conversation to be had when the medical experts, and the medical professionals in this country, in just about every country in the world, when the WHO, are adamant there is no risk here” and “Oh, come on I’m sorry, were not going to have that discussion.”
Then, referring to the surgeons who accepted the blood bank’s unfounded reassurances, “They accept the truth that there is no risk here.” It felt a bit like observing a child putting its fingers in its ears and going “La la la la, I don’t want to listen.”
Another one who was brave enough to speak to Sue was Heather du Plessis-Allen: “Sue Sue Sue I don’t want to go into your beliefs on this one, let’s just stick to the facts. I’ve got to be honest, I just can’t go there. I cannot be bothered…”
Perhaps the advice from Stewart Sowman-Lund of The Spinoff would have been better received in advance. Referring to Sue, Sowman-Lund suggested: “Those interviewing her should either be fully prepared to counter – in detail – her anti-vaccination rhetoric or – given the likelihood it will quickly descend into conspiracy territory – cut it off early.
A quote springs to mind here: “The truth does not mind being questioned; whereas a lie does not like being challenged.”
If Corin and Heather were so sure of their positions and knew the science supported them, surely they could articulate their points in a discussion with Sue without having to resort to cancelling her, talking over her and shutting her down. Corin was obviously threatened by the fact Sue is not actually a layperson on this matter. He tried on several occasions to ignore or belittle the science qualifications – a BSc with a double major in microbiology and biochemistry, and a diploma in public health inspection – she has in addition to her legal ones – (LLB (Hons) – as well as her knowledge and expertise, but he ended up sounding rather pathetic and petulant.
These journalists appear not to have a good grasp or understanding of scientific matters. In itself, this is not a problem, but part of their job is to explore all views, including scientific ones, in an unbiased manner.
On another occasion, Michael Laws spoke with Alia Bland and decided on the basis of 24 hours of research that Prof. Byram Bridle, Canadian viral immunologist, was a discredited nutter. It seems Laws’ research consisted of looking at “fact-checkers” reports, rather than actually reading or looking at any of Dr. Bridle’s work or listening to him speak.
Easier to trust someone else rather than get to grips with the issues. Mind you, Laws is in good company. One of us had our referenced statements dismissed by the Medical Council on the grounds that Facebook “fact-checkers” had said they were incorrect!
Sean Plunket 5 Dec 2022: “I trust people who run the health system.”
Corin Dann’s misplaced trust again: “OK, so they trust the medical science behind those surgeons carrying out that operation, yet they don’t trust those same doctors who do trust the blood service’s blood? Where is the logic in that?”
Let’s help Corin here. He was referring to surgeons, who are highly qualified and skilled at operating on babies’ hearts. That does not make them trustworthy experts in infectious disease, immunology, haematology, or “vaccinations” using a new gene therapy. That would be a bit like trusting a science teacher to take the classical music class.
From media reports it appears that no specialist from the blood service was willing to talk to the parents initially and when one did appear, she was distracted, rushed and unwilling or unable to engage in conversation in a meaningful way. Hardly the way to engender trust.
Trust should be earned, and trust can be lost if it is not respected. Perhaps some critical thinking should be applied when deciding who to trust?
Who or what is an expert?
Which brings us to the questions of who or what is an expert, where do they come from, what credentials do they need or have, do they have hidden conflicts of interest and should we trust them?
Mainstream media appears to trust the “experts” and brings them out frequently for comment. There seems to be an unquestioning faith among NZ journalists, and our covid ‘experts’ are rarely challenged with probing questions.
Corin Dann speaking with Sue Grey: “I don’t want to have a discussion about the research because you and I are lay people. We trust the experts.”
If we consider the “experts” we have been exposed to over the past 3 years – Baker, Turner, Wiles, Bloomfield, Jackson, Petousis-Harris to name a few – they all seem to come from our ivory towers of academia, or from the government, which means they most likely automatically have at least one conflict of interest.
When have you heard a journalist questioning who funds Otago or Auckland University, Immunisation Advisory Centre (“IMAC”), The Science Media Centre or the Disinformation Project? Is it possible that funding comes with strings attached and there are some things you must say and some things you can’t say if you want your funding to continue?
We would like to hear from experts who aren’t being paid to say something, who are speaking solely from their knowledge and respect for humanity.
New Zealanders no longer trust the media or their “experts”
Although the journalists may still “trust the experts,” increasing numbers of New Zealanders are aware of the lies we have been told by experts, the same lies that have been regurgitated unquestioningly by the media, to the point that experts and media no longer have our trust. And the media is aware of this.
There are various levels of evidence used when referring to medicine as demonstrated by the following diagram. Expert opinion is low down on the list and modelling is down at the bottom too. New Zealanders have been exposed to a lot of expert opinions and modelling over the last 3 years.
Experts can however, earn respect by speaking the truth. When an expert consistently speaks the truth, s/he will be trusted.
“Experts” lie
Moving on to the little lies – either overt or by omission or obfuscation – that we have been told by experts. Here’s a list of just a few of them from the last 3 years:
