Plain English with Derek Thompson

How the Media Failed Its COVID Test: The Truth Behind the Lab Leak and Masking Debates

Mar 7, 2023

Dan Engber, a science writer and editor at The Atlantic, joins Jason Abaluck, a Yale economist, to dissect media coverage of COVID-19's origins and the mask debate. They explore the controversial lab leak hypothesis versus natural origins, highlighting media shortcomings in public understanding. Engber critiques the inconsistent messaging from journalists, while Abaluck shares insights from his research in Bangladesh that challenges traditional views on mask effectiveness. The discussion emphasizes the need for critical thinking and accountability in science journalism.

01:36:40

Episode guests

Jason Abaluck

Dan Engber

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Mess of Uncertainty

00:55

The Cochrane meta analysis: Will any lessons be learned?

01:19

The Coincidence of COVID and SARS

00:59

Intro

5min

Navigating COVID-19 Narratives

24min

Unraveling COVID-19's Origins

15min

The Evolving Discourse on Masks During COVID-19

3min

Masks and Their Impact: A Comprehensive Analysis

18min

Evaluating Mask Mandates: Insights from the Cochran Review

20min

Navigating the Complexities of Science Journalism in a Pandemic Era

2min

Navigating Truth in Politicized Science

6min

Today’s episode is a long one: It’s about the debate over media coverage of COVID. Three years after the fateful March of 2020, when it feels like the world shut down for COVID, we are revisiting two of the most contentious debates in this space. No. 1: The lab leak hypothesis; which is the debate over the possibility that COVID originated at a laboratory in China and not, as the official story went, at a wet market in Wuhan. And no. 2: the mask debate. And why a seemingly simple question—do masks work—is so hard to answer. Today’s guests are Dan Engber, a science writer and editor at The Atlantic who has chronicled the ups and downs of the media’s relationship to the lab leak. And Jason Abaluck, a Yale economist who has conducted masking research in Bangladesh.

Host: Derek Thompson

Guests: Dan Engber & Jason Abaluck

Producer: Devon Manze

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