Ebola sells.
Not the disease, but the fears behind it. The media is making Ebola out to be the next big bad thing that will eliminate the population and turn reality into an episode of The Walking Dead.
Ebola is not a population-wiping virus that turns everyone into walking zombies. It’s a virus that can be contracted by people who have weak immune systems; it only affects certain individuals, not all.
During a recent Fox News segment, reporter Neil Cavuto interviewed Dr. Gil Mobley of Missouri regarding the Ebola outbreak. The segment ended with Dr. Mobley exclaiming that “people need to be scared.”
Indeed, Fox News is notoriously conservative and is often criticized for how it deals with certain news stories. Though, if you were to tune into any news outlets right now, an Ebola scaremongering story would undoubtedly pop up.
Ebola is a horrible virus that is increasing its casualties each and everyday. It’s a horrible disease that does kill people in a highly painful matter. Ebola is a real outbreak that is gravely affecting individuals in third-world countries that do not have access to Western medical care.
But there is no need to panic. Precautions have already been established even prior to coverage by the mass media.
The media focusing on Ebola does nothing—it only creates unnecessary fear. There are far more other important news stories out there that the media should be focusing on. These include ISIS, unemployment, developments on gay marriage at the Supreme Court, and the stalling of Obamacare, which affects everyone in this country.
The media is using the appeal of Ebola to gain viewership, readers and fans by harnessing America’s collective fears about a massive epidemic. Why? Fear promotes viewership, which translates into higher advertisement revenue. Money is the backbone of media outlets—and Ebola brings in money. Scaremongering tactics are real—and it is happening right now.
Americans shouldn’t panic about Ebola:
Firstly, Ebola is not as contagious as the media is portraying it to be; Ebola is not the common cold—it cannot easily fly through the air, and it is only transmitted through contact with bodily fluids.
Additionally, Ebola can be diverted using common-sense hygiene. Practices used to divert the common cold can be used in avoiding the Ebola virus—such as washing your hands and covering your mouth when coughing.
Finally, doctors do know how the virus works. Indeed, there is no cure or vaccine, but doctors do know how to control the disease. Ebola is not a mythical disease that the medical community has never heard of, it’s been around for decades. There are dedicated centers in the United States that specialize in containing the virus and comfortably treating infected patients.