Defining Misinformation, The Death of Science
What does misinformation even mean anymore? The world rarely works in absolutes.
Language is the basis for understanding. So what happens a word means something completely different to two groups? Communications break down, disagreements escalate, and inevitably leads to chaos. This is the reality of the world we live in today. Words no longer carry the meaning of their textbook definitions. Opportunists are taking advantage of this to divide others and push personal agendas. Perhaps the word responsible for the most damage is “misinformation.”
The definition of misinformation is “incorrect or misleading information.” However, this definition has been twisted. Some now use it as a means to discredit others they disagree with. Information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be the main target of this issue. There is a mainstream narrative about what science to believe when it comes to vaccinations, transmission, other treatment options, ect. Any who disagree or have a different opinion are labeled as spreading misinformation or “anti-vaxxers.” This is a dangerous slope of censorship that will end science as we know it.
Science does not function in absolutes, rather it is conditional. Yet, media has been quick to silence doctors who voice “conspiracy theories” regarding the pandemic. For example, Dr. Robert Malone was one of the men who discovered the mRNA technology used in the vaccines. He has voiced concern over the expedited process to approve the vaccines and the largely brushed aside side-effects. Dr. Malone further asserts there had not been enough research on how the vaccines may affect women’s reproductive systems. Yet, media and many have been calling Dr. Malone a conspiracy theorist that spreads misinformation. They banned him on twitter for that reason alone. Why are people not allowed to view a different opinion? Just because someone views a situation from a different perspective, does not mean everything about it is false. It would be better to have a discussion on the problem and look at issues both sides may have. That would be what science is supposed to do. Science would take both sides’ views and test them. NOT brush one aside for another.
Mainstream media is not always correct. So, assuming that everything they/Dr. Fauci say is always true, is never going to be the correct path or the scientific one. A prime example of this is how the Covid vaccines affect women’s menstrual cycles. Women who reported irregularities in their periods were told there was no reason to believe it was due to the vaccine. They were told there was no evidence and was likely due to something else such as stress or diet. And women were told that their atypical cycles were just happening by chance. But women were right. While findings so far have shown only small effects, it shows that their concerns were valid and not “misinformation.” Had the media and researchers listened to these women’s concerns, these side-effects could have been discovered sooner. Now this doesn’t mean they were correct about everything as the idea of “vaccine shedding” was shown to be false. But, this shows that no one side is always correct or always wrong. Maybe we as a society should be scientific and test our questions instead of calling them “misinformation.”