Swine Foolishness

Seriously? CNN is lamenting the panic that has apparently set in as people begin to flood emergency departments because of swine flu fears? Are they kidding us with this? CNN and every other media outlet around CAUSED this panic! It is impossible to pick up a newspaper, turn on a TV or radio or log onto a web page without seeing "swine flu" panic-mongering.

Media people, don't even try to tell me that you haven't been deliberately trying to induce public panic. At the very moment this article was featured on CNN's website, there were no fewer than ten other articles about swine flu, including "Gas Masks Next Step in Flu Fight," "Number of Confirmed H1N1 Cases Soars" and "Developers Create Swine Flu App for iPhone." How is having eleven swine flu articles with sensationalist headlines NOT fostering panic?

At the same time, Reuter's also had at least ten references to the flu, one notable headline being "Not Scared of Flu Yet?" MSNBC had a whopping fifteen articles dedicated to panicking the masses, including flu references in its "Entertainment" section.

Interestingly, on the home page for the Center for Disease Control, there were only three references to the flu. The most dramatic of those links was merely labeled "CDC Responds to H1N1 Flu Outbreak Among Humans." Refreshingly dull, in my opinion.

Media - we get it: the flu is going around. Please don't put up articles acting like you're shocked because people are panicking. You caused this. It'd be nice to send the medical bills to the local news outlets, wouldn't it?
Thanks, media types. Enough. Please shut up now.