The Brits are investigating the lab-leak theory and Congress is pushing for its own investigation. Some journalists are starting to admit why they dismissed the theory last year.
Summary
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Wuhan Institute of Virology was working with the Chinese military, conducting “military activity” “alongside what they claimed was just good old civilian research.”
- Supporting American intelligence estimates that a lab-leak origin of the coronavirus is plausible, British spies are now recruiting sources to investigate the theory further.
- Congress is keeping up the pressure, with nearly half its members requesting a House investigation to determine whether the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the source of the pandemic.
- According to The Financial Times, President Joe Biden’s thinking on the matter has changed partially because President Trump and Secretary Pompeo, who were accused of racist attacks when blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak and of “politicizing intelligence”, were no longer in office.
- The Australian details a list of questions critical to answer in order to get to the bottom of the pandemic’s origins, including China’s aversion to the truth and the conflicts of interest with a British scientist with extensive ties to Chinese virus scientists being part of the team conducting an investigation into the pandemic.
- Huffington Post reported on an interview a top House Republican gave CNN on the latest in the lab-leak investigationwithout the mainstream media’s usual caveats that the theory is unfounded or a condemnation of former President Trump.
- The Chinese Communist Party’s newspaper is papering over history by highlighting one of its top community health directors having won the 2021 Sasakawa Prize for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
- Time magazine highlights how difficult it will be to get answers from China given their continued peddling of baseless conspiracy theories (what mainstream media said about President Trump last year) and efforts to silence scientists who may be able to provide answers.
- OAN took ABC News’ Jon Karl to task for admitting on Sunday “a lot of people have egg on their face” for dismissing the lab-leak theory for a year only because it was being considered by President Trump, who triggered the media’s instinctive reaction to criticize Trump and anything he said. RedState also wrote on Karl’s remarks.
- Fox News reported on an interview former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb gave in which he said “lab leaks happen all the time” and pushing for continued investigation.
- Wall Street Journal editorial board member Holman Jenkins, Jr. criticized the arc of the media’s coverage regarding the possibility of an accidental lab leak resulting in the coronavirus pandemic, saying it was another example of media bias and warning the industry to recognize its faults and control them.
Author’s Take
Normally, Jon Karl should be applauded for admitting the media got it wrong. But he followed up his comments justifying the wrongness by admitting it was in service to countering Trump. It is simply not the news media’s job to reflexively take a counter position based solely on who is in charge. Trump is asked why he’s so racist, Biden is asked what flavor ice cream he got. The media has a long way to go if they follow Holman Jenkins’ advice.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
