Did you ever get the idea that CNN's Brian Stelter takes the opposite stance of whatever Fox News says?
Liberals leaped on a recent VA study that showed that hydroxychloroquine failed to show any benefit in treating and may even harm COVID-19 patients. Many in the media said "told you so." Some, such as Stelter, have gone even further, claiming on Wednesday afternoon's CNN Newsroom that President Trump and various Fox News personalities are endangering people by promoting it.
After Dr. Jonathan Reiner asserted that despite his and Trump's honest desire for a quick treatment, the data just isn't there for hydroxychloroquine, host John King declared that both the media and the White House should be more responsible in how they talk about potential cures -- but only one of these is actually doing so. "That's the point about the responsibility of our business and the president, but we can only speak, I can only speak for our business. I don't speak for him in that. As the doctor notes, we need more data, we need more evidence. But in anxious times, people do sometimes look to people they trust for guidance, and we know there was a run on this drug."
Stelter agreed that Trump's advocacy of the drug was dangerous, "Yes, and the millions of Americans who use this drug for approved purposes, including my wife, people who have autoimmune issues and need this drug became worried they wouldn't be able to get it because of the drug pushing that was happening on Fox News and from the White House podium."
That's a bit of a leap. It's not as Trump just pulled hydroxychloroquine of a hat. It's not as if trained health care professional are prescribing treatments based on what Trump, Fox, or CNN says. Some coronavirus patients felt the drug saved their lives.
Despite questions about the VA study, Stelter then accused Fox of not covering the VA study "because it doesn't fit the narrative that was being promoted in late March and early April." He concluded, "Why would we ever think a Fox News star or any president should be promoting a drug? It's outlandish."
Is it different when a CNN doctor is promoting medical marijuana? That might be seen as "drug pushing"....
King agreed with Stelter, but correctly pointed out it wasn't just Trump and Fox hosts who were intrigued by the potential benefits of hydroxychloroquine, "It is outlandish. To be fair, though, Dr. Reiner, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, did say let's give this a try."
Here is a transcript for the April 22 show:
CNN
CNN Newsroom
12:41
JOHN KING: And Brian Stelter, that's the point about the responsibility of our business and the president, but we can only speak, I can only speak for our business. I don't speak for him in that. As the doctor notes, we need more data, we need more evidence. But in anxious times, people do sometimes look to people they trust for guidance, and we know there was a run on this drug.
BRIAN STELTER: Yes, and the millions of Americans who use this drug for approved purposes, including my wife, people who have autoimmune issues and need this drug became worried they wouldn't be able to get it because of the drug pushing that was happening on Fox News and from the White House podium. You know, the president yesterday was asked about this new study, and he said he hadn't seen the report and that may be because Fox News is barely talking about it because it doesn't fit the narrative that was being promoted in late March and early April. But recently, Fox has moved on. They've stopped talking about this drug and the hope that it could be beneficial. They have moved on to other quick fixes and other pro-Trump narratives. You know, this network, these stars, they think they're helping the president, but they're actually hurting him when they push these narratives. And ultimately, they're misleading their viewers, and that's why it is so troubling. Why would we ever think a fox News star or any president should be promoting a drug? It's outlandish.
KING: It is outlandish. To be fair, though, Dr. Reiner, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, did say let's give this a try. The federal government sent him an inventory of hydroxychloroquine, and New York did a limited study, and then they had sent the results now of some patients, like compassionate care I think, if a doctor is having trouble with a patient, you ask the patient, “nothing else is working, do you want to try this?” And its up to the patient do it and they have sent to the FDA and CDC, because that was taxpayer funded, we eventually have to see that right?
