In recent years, the quality of the New York Times has declined significantly, leading many to turn to the Wall Street Journal as a more reliable news source. A notable issue was the global Covid epidemic, which began in early 2020 and is estimated to have caused around thirty million excess deaths. During this time, the Times, along with other media outlets, promoted the idea that Covid was a natural virus and labeled those suggesting otherwise as conspiracy theorists. Donald G. McNeil, Jr. , a veteran Times journalist, faced job loss after being reported for his language during a student trip, despite his extensive work on Covid reporting.
In May 2021, the narrative shifted when Nicholas Wade, a former science editor at the Times, published a detailed article suggesting Covid was man-made and likely leaked from a lab. His article challenged the prevailing view and had a profound impact on the media, leading to changes in how platforms like Facebook handled discussions about the virus's origins. Wade's work, combined with McNeil later supporting his findings, marked a significant transformation in public discourse about the pandemic's origins.
Despite the anniversary of the Covid epidemic passing with little acknowledgment from the Times, the Wall Street Journal revisited the contentious lab-leak theory shortly before the fifth anniversary. The focus of research on Covid’s origins also included Jim Haslam, an independent researcher whose work circled back to the core questions about the virus’s creation and spread. Haslam's research presented Covid as a bioengineered virus that leaked from a lab, mirroring earlier claims made by various authors in the aftermath of the outset of the pandemic.
My attention to Covid origins research had waned as I focused on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, until the assassination of Russian general Igor Kirillov sparked renewed interest. Kirillov had alleged that Covid was used as a bioweapon against nations like China and Iran, which led to further examination of these claims in my writings. This renewed interest coincided with mentions of Haslam's recently published book on Covid origins, encouraging a deeper dive into his findings.
Haslam's book, which was self-published, presented compelling arguments and evidence, though it lacked the conventional endorsements one might expect from mainstream publishing avenues. Its analysis surpassed that of several other more formally published works on similar topics, providing a strong critique of the established narratives surrounding Covid’s origins. The discussions ignited by prominent figures like Jeffrey Sachs further highlighted alternative perspectives on the matter, leading to increased visibility for Haslam's work.
Overall, the article reflects on the changing narratives surrounding Covid's origins, the media's role in shaping public perception, and the struggles faced by independent researchers in having their voices heard in a landscape dominated by major corporate media outlets.
https://www.unz.com/runz/five-years-and-thirty-million-deaths/
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