Mainstream Media Discovers Wuhan Coronavirus Lab Leak Theory

After spending a year discrediting anyone who discussed the theory of the coronavirus originating from a Wuhan lab, mainstream media are suddenly interested in it. Some voices on the right are reminding them of their dishonesty.

Summary

President Biden has ordered his administration to “redouble” their efforts to conduct an investigation in to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, contradicting months of remarks that characterized the possibility of a Chinese lab leak as a “fringe theory.”

• According to reports, the intelligence communities have narrowed their focus to two possibilities: natural animal-to-human transmission and a laboratory accident. (These have been the only two theories since the beginning of the pandemic. Either Reuters’ reporter had a word count minimum to meet or the Biden administration is trying to frame their intelligence gathering as more robust than it actually is.) 
• Following his shift in position on the likelihood of a lab accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology leading the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci faced lawmakers and calls for his ouster this week. 
• Former President Trump released a statement this week that “declared victory”, saying “everybody is agreeing that I was right when I very early on called Wuhan as the source of COVID-19.” 
• Media columnist for The Hill Niall Stanage wrote the sudden reversal by the media on the origins of the coronavirus is fuel for the fire of conservative skepticism toward mainstream media they often see as biased against them, saying the media “disparaged” those who said it could have been a lab leak last year “almost surely because its loudest promoter was then-President Trump.”

• LeftWhile The New York Times did not admit to its own role in intentionally downplaying or discrediting anyone who posited the lab-leak theory last year, it did note that the Biden administration’s renewed investigation is an “abrupt” reversal from even just a few days ago in which the administration said it considered the international group World Health Organization the most appropriate agency to head an investigation into the virus’ origin.

   

• CNN’s analysis still completely lied about what Sen. Tom Cotton, who was pilloried last year for the exact same stance President Biden, Dr. Fauci, and the mainstream media now have today, said, characterizing his stance as though he publicly said China intentionally released a bioweapon. Cotton NEVER said that. 
• Huffington Post’s coverage of Biden’s order framed the story as Republicans’ “political grandstanding” and Trump’s “racist” “rhetoric” as being the reason the lab-leak theory never went anywhere last year. 
• The Washington Post’s editorial board pretended there was never any debate last year regarding the virus’ origins or that its own paper maliciously attacked Sen. Cotton and others who suggested the virus could have been the result of an accident at the Wuhan virus lab.

• The New York Post’s coverage argued the conventional wisdom that ‘the pandemics epicenter being in or near Wuhan” was never in contention, but that Trump’s blaming of China, partially as a result of the communist regime’s “dubious statements”, caused the backlash. 
• Fox News’ media analyst Howie Kurtz criticized mainstream media for spending a year dismissing and ridiculing the theory but accepting it as a possibility now, highlighting the particular vitriol for which journalists went after Trump for pushing “discredited” “rumors.” 
• National Review reported on a New York Times reporter assigned to the COVID-19 beat blasting anyone proffering the lab-leak theory, and saying the theory has “racist roots.” 
• Townhall.com’s reporting discussed the White House press briefing and the administration’s insistence that the WHO lead an international investigation, saying there is no reason to trust the international body. 
• OAN characterized the news of the White House’s intelligence community review as asking “China and the World Health Organization for help with the investigation.” This is not accurate. While the Biden administration has said WHO should conduct a second investigation, even Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said China has not been forthcoming with the necessary data.

Author’s Take

Well, at least the mainstream media is talking about the lab leak theory now.  If you’re waiting for an apology for the way journalist snarked and sneered at Sen. Cotton, President Trump, or anyone else betraying The Narrative, don’t hold your breath.

There is liberal media, and then there is The Washington Post, which has performed such breathtaking acrobatics to maintain a false façade of journalistic integrity. After leading the charge in the mainstream media’s attempts to discredit Cotton and Trump, their editorial board is *very concerned* that China has been duplicitous. Attempt to rewrite the past and gaslight readers to protect their credibility is why they are not trusted by conservatives.

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© Dallas Gerber, 2021