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Comment by starkd | Hacker News Reader

The headline was indeed more inflammatory than the facts of the article. It seems like the media wants people to panic.

I can't speak for the article here, but at least some local media in my country wants to generate clicks and views, so the more horrifying the headline (but also the article contents), the better.

See the recent matter on antibody decline: few if any got it right (although it can mean a waning immune response it is not enough to tell if it is happening).

A small percentage change in the output of knowledge workers would have an outsized effect on the overall economy. This kind of data is as dramatic as the title suggests. We can’t afford to poke this bear.

>>A small percentage change in the output of knowledge workers would have an outsized effect on the overall economy.

Especially in the US, where healthcare bills are the number one reason for personal bankruptcies (66.5%).

The phrase "If it bleeds it leads" was coined in 1989. Seems apt.

> The headline was indeed more inflammatory than the facts of the article. It seems like the media wants people to panic.

I wouldn't conflate a clickbait headline on a single article by a single website into a widespread conspiracy by "the media" to spread panic.

The incentives to write scary articles are clear. No secret cabal required.

It's not a conspiracy, but anyone that has worked in or with a newsroom will tell you that panic and fear sell newspapers (or clicks). Reporters get judged on article engagement and being humans, they optimize for the metric that they get judged on.

Maybe the media wants to inform people that they should wear a mask.

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