A Brookings Institution data analyst who boasts her “PhD” in her Twitter profile, has discovered that the podcast world is brimming with pesky conservatives who view the world differently than her. Oh, the horror!
In a Twitter thread posted Thursday, Valerie Wirtschafter bemoaned how in this world, “you can say whatever you want,” even if it belies the orthodoxy of the establishment left.
Out today, my new report for @BrookingsInst sheds light on the opaque medium of podcasting, where in the words of one prominent host “you can say whatever you want.” https://t.co/P5NpGd9dAI
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
This report represents the first systematic, overarching assessment of more than 36,000 shows from across the political spectrum pic.twitter.com/JHWOeBCmKY
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
What exactly is her problem? She alleges it’s that these conservative podcasts are sharing “unsubstantiated or false claims,” but she doesn’t specify the claims.
This is extremely relevant because America’s top institutions seem to have a sordid history of labeling the truth “false” and lies the “truth.”
As an example, recall how during the height of the COVID pandemic, the “experts” declared that the COVID vaccine completely stops the transmission of the coronavirus and that anyone saying otherwise was making a “false claim.”
Yet that “false claim” turned out to be 100 percent accurate.
BREAKING:
In COVID hearing, #Pfizer director admits: #vaccine was never tested on preventing transmission.
“Get vaccinated for others” was always a lie.
The only purpose of the #COVID passport: forcing people to get vaccinated.
The world needs to know. Share this video! ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/su1WqgB4dO
— Rob Roos MEP (@Rob_Roos) October 11, 2022
Continuing her thread, Wirtschafter alleges that “nearly all [the podcasts] that shared unsubstantiated or false claims more than five times were ideologically conservative.”
But again she refuses to specify the alleged “false claims,” raising the serious possibility that the claims aren’t actually false and that they simply belie liberal orthodoxy.
Drawing on thousands of external fact checks & a dictionary of key terms, the research evaluated that 1 out of every 20 episodes & 70% of all shows have shared at least one unsubstantiated or false claim, with some shows sharing far more than others. pic.twitter.com/j7zwVC1ML7
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
Due to the extremely conservative nature of the research design, this is likely an undercount of unsubstantiated and false claims across the medium.
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
Wirtschafter then alleges that “false claims” exploded after the 2020 presidential election due to podcasts talking about “election-fraud related topics.”
But election fraud is a legitimate topic, despite assertions to the contrary by the left. Though to be clear, acceptance of the indisputable fact that election fraud does occur doesn’t prove that the 2020 presidential election was somehow illegitimate.
The report also includes detailed case studies of the 2020 Presidential Election, building on past research with @chrismeserole https://t.co/kd3FUtSNZX pic.twitter.com/avYOq4pitB
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
Wirtschafter predictably also complains about the “false claims” that appeared during the COVID pandemic, while ignoring that most of the actual false claims came from the very institutions that she works for and evidently believes are infallible.
And the COVID-19 pandemic, where claims tied to alternative treatments and prevention were far more common than all other types of claims and key moments seemed to drive the spread of unsubstantiated and false claims. pic.twitter.com/zjlQmO8pnW
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
She concludes the thread by revealing that it took her two years of ostensible research to reach these conclusions — conclusions that, for the record, appear extremely suspect.
This research was conducted over nearly a two year period and inspired by a passing tweet conversation. I am happy to answer any and all questions about design, methodology and analysis. https://t.co/P5SHfObMtF
— Valerie Wirtschafter (@vwirtschafter) February 9, 2023
Her thread has attracted massive backlash, with critics rushing to point out the flawed assumptions undergirding her so-called “research.”
Look:
Most of the prominent Covid misinformation was spread by the CDC, WHO and FDA.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) February 10, 2023
And remember when Walensky and Biden spread pro-vaccine misinformation, specifically making false claims that you won’t get or spread the virus if you get your Covid shots? How many instances like that were factored into @vwirtschafter analysis?
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) February 10, 2023
Did you adjust your findings retroactively?
For example, if someone in July of 2021 claimed that the vaccine did not prevent transmission or infection, did you score that as untrue (as was claimed at the time) or did you score it as true (as was proven later)
— Andy Swan (@AndySwan) February 9, 2023
Critics have also bashed her for being one of those elitist liberals who wave around their credentials like they mean something.
She has a Phd people. She needs one to achieve this level of stupid
— DMan (@DjIV2010) February 10, 2023
And they have torn into her for complaining about people being allowed to “say whatever [they] want.”
People are out there, just SAYING whatever they please?! Oh HEAVENS no!!
— ⚔️ (@ReaganLodge) February 10, 2023
Imagine people saying what they want. It’s almost like it’s a protected right or something! Weird!
— C4nn4b1s C4pp3r (@CannabisCapper) February 9, 2023
Oh no, people saying what they want!Next thing you know, they’ll be allowed to make their own decisions.
— The Kids Are Not Alright (@HideYourKids0) February 9, 2023
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