To what extent is it true that the 1918 epidemic didn’t make the front page very often?
I believe that it may of once or twice.
This leads me to believe that as long as this virus is well reported there is no way of a repeat. That is to say that ignorance by the press killed the lot of ‘em!
What do you think?
It was kept quiet due to political reason - WW1 and the war effort. Wilson had a very tight control of the media. Yes, there is less liklihood of that happening here today, especially with all the different media sources out there that didn’t exist back then. But think of other countries, even so called “democratic” ones where the rpess is tightly controlled - Egypt, Rusiia, and many more. Most inhabitants can’t afford computers to check the interenet. They rely on what is made available to them.
Most official plans in the US have on their front page as job 1: “Managing the Media” to prevent “panic, rumors, and misinformation”.
Trouble is, so far, what they’ve said the public Needs to Know About “Flu” hasn’t left me feeling good about how I imagine they’ll do that… And who decides what is misinformation or not in national/local “security” interests?
They already talk about vaccine drills knowing the public is unprepared for the 6 months before vaccine, and 1% of the population a week capacity after that (hm, pre-pandemic population, or 6-months post pandmeic population? ugh).
This virus is not “well-reported” - the money and testing supplies and staff do not exist to monitor all the locations and continents the bad strains of H5N1 are already. Humans die and are buried without any testing even outside of Africa, and modern travel continues as usual.
I don’t see a way the world can avoid a repeat of a 1918 or worse influenza pandemic. Would sure like to avoid one, but…
I believe Woodrow also came down with it himself…he was not directly involved in the settlement of the war and too harsh-a-measures were imposed on Germany leading to Adolf Hitler getting his nose out of joint in a big way…….
But, you can’t believe everything you read!
Go to your local library and look at old newspapers. I did…it was amazing.
It made the front page in our area. But there was clearly a “mystery” behind what was happening. The newspaper is filled with stories about WWI as well. Clearly, the flu was not the only news of the day. It was an interesting read.
Please see Ten Days in Toronto where starting with October 2nd, 1918, articles from The Globe newspaper, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as the pandemic arrives, make quite a read.(Thanks, Quiplash !)
…good to see something…
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