How The Traditional Print Media Hyped Swine Flu

Since April 2009, when swine flu first reached the UK, well over 100,000 British people have become infected with the virus. In recent weeks, colder, autumnal weather has triggered a sudden increase in infection rates, following a dip during the summer, and the UK has, once again, become gripped by swine flu hysteria.

Tragically, some people will die from swine flu, 82 people in the UK have done so already, but to put this figure into some sort of perspective, 600 people die from seasonal flu in the UK each year. The vast majority of those who catch swine flu will experience symptoms so mild they won’t notice they’re ill at all, or will simply suffer fluey symptoms for a few days. Those who do die are likely to be elderly and frail or suffering from a pre-existing medical condition.

Despite the facts that so few have died; that we have an effective antidote in the form of the antiviral drug Tamiflu; and that there’s a vaccine on the way, thousands, terrified, call NHS Direct and the National Pandemic Flu Service every day. We’ve even heard reports of desperate people obtaining Tamiflu by fraudulent means and others stealing supplies of the drug to peddle on the black market.

Sensationalist reports in the media must shoulder much of the blame for fuelling this level of panic. People are scared of the unknown: we still have little understanding of how swine flu behaves and what the potential risks are; the virus could mutate into a more virulent strain. Rather than emphasise the reality of the situation, however, to put the public’s mind at ease, the press have continued to churn out shocking headlines in the hope that they’ll sell more papers.

Below, you’ll find examples of some of the more outrageous swine flu related headlines which have appeared in the traditional print media over the past few months. With headlines like these popping up in the press day in, day out, “swine flu fear” risks becoming more dangerous than the virus itself!

Read the full article at http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/how-britains-traditional-print-media-hyped-swine-flu/