Emails show the NYT got played by COVID ‘experts’
The New York Times likes to think of itself as the epitome of journalism, reporting, and media coverage throughout the world. But more signs than one point to the fact that the outlet is steadily losing its prestige as it continues working to appease the ruling class rather than report the facts.
The paper’s coverage of COVID-19 Inc. is a prime example.
New emails show that one of the top scientific “experts” we were being told to trust without question throughout the pandemic, Kristian Andersen, conspired with his co-authors of the Proximal Origin report to manipulate the Times’ reporting on COVID’s origins.
https://twitter.com/JamieMetzl/status/1681652470903087104
Proximal Origins was the primary report used to push the mandated narrative that COVID-19 likely came from an animal transfer in the wild and was used to shut down anyone who pointed to the likelihood of the lab leak theory—which now many believe to be the true culprit.
In his emails, Andersen plots with his colleagues to avoid discussing their work with a Times reporter, and frankly, his manipulation seems to have worked like a charm.
“Can’t ignore him and can’t just give him the scientific story,” his email explains, “that would only lead to follow up question(s).” He continued, “I’m hoping that by including ‘extremely busy’ I’ll also be able to deflect requests for a call—and also gives me a get out of jail card for ignoring a potential request.”
Sir. What? Why would someone so confident in their work be working overtime to avoid promoting it with the largest newspaper in the world? It doesn’t track. And for good reason, because Andersen and his colleagues—despite their public positions—privately thought the lab leak theory held weight after all.
“Accidental escape is in fact highly likely—it’s not some fringe theory,” Andersen wrote in a Slack message to a colleague on February 2, 2020.
So why was Andersen complicit in what many are now calling a cover-up of the virus’ origins? New documents show that he had an $8.9 million grant request sitting on the desk of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the time, perhaps that is why. Because the lab leak theory was always going to lead directly back to Anthony Fauci and the NIH using a passthrough organization (EcoHealth Alliance) to illegally fund dangerous and unethical gain-of-function research in that lab, on those viruses.
Fauci was of course involved with the creation of Proximal Origins throughout the process, and he then advertised it widely and publicly to dispel the lab leak theory and any mention of the NIH’s Wuhan funding until Senator Rand Paul finally cornered him before Congress and got the truth (though he still tried to lie about it even then).
These are your experts, ladies and gentlemen. And remember, you’re a big old conspiracy theorist weirdo if you don’t ‘trust the science.’
Not only did the Times run with Andersen’s preferred narrative on COVID’s origins, it also worked to discredit anyone who pushed back on it. In fact, here they are all the way in June of 2023 running cover for Andersen and his colleagues as they faced a congressional inquiry into their work and Dr. Fauci’s influence on it.
The White Coat Waste Project, a free market animal welfare organization I am a Fellow for, had been filing FOIAs into the NIH’s connection with the Wuhan lab for years before the pandemic broke out—thus perfectly positioning them with the smoking gun needed to elevate the lab leak theory in the Spring of 2020. That’s one of the most frustrating parts about the numerous lies of Fauci and his cronies, we’ve had the proof in hand that they were illegally funding gain-of-function research in that lab, on that virus, all along. And yet the world’s largest newspaper not only failed to report that, it actively worked to silence those who did their jobs as journalists and advocates.
Frankly, it’s an unforgivable sin and tremendous ethical failing for the NYT. And yet, they continue to dig their own grave by refusing to acknowledge, admit, or apologize for any of this—which would be the last chance they had at intellectual integrity and salvaging their reputation.
https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/1684350981042053120
Legacy media is dying a swift and surefire death and we can’t say they don’t deserve it. When they go extinct, we’ll hang these bones in their closet at a museum for future generations to learn from.
Hannah is a Fellow for the White Coat Waste Project.
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