BiRd FlU pAnDeMiC

*What was the ostensible intent of this report*
The intent of this report was solely to create fear amongst its viewers. Saying things like, "Unfortunately we want good news in the vaccine area. But on a scale of one to ten, we're at 1.5 at the most. And if pandemic were to begin anytime in the next several years, we would virtually have no vaccine" does not do much good. This report came out with aims of putting panic into the eyes of people watching and reading about it.

*What kind of behavior did this report try to promote*
This report tried to promote fearful behavior. They wanted people to begin settling into panic mode. By discussing the family that stocked up with food and masks, makes people fearful that they will have to do the same thing. I am sure that many people seen this report and immediately panicked and ran to the store to prepare themselves.

*Was this report balanced, giving an objective sense of the risk of a bird flu epidemic, the mechanisms by which a bird virus might mutate to a human population, whether a mutated virus would be as deadly as direct infection. Did it cite any experts who questioned the assumptions of authorities interviewed for the report or presented an alternative viewpoint*
This report was not very balanced at all. It did not give an objective sense of the risk or describe the ways in which a virus might harm a human population. It simply discribed the harms that this virus will lead to and all of the dangers that America is in for. None of the experts cited were those who questioned the assumptions of these claims. Nor did this report present an alternative viewpoint. All this report achieved was that of scaring people. It does not seem right to me that a news report can place so much unnecessary fear into peoples lives. I guess if we look closely, however, this fear is common in a lot of the media we are subjected to.

*What is your personal feeling about the couple who have stockpiled a year's worth of supplies in their basement? Do you wish to emulate them? Do you think their actions are a reasonable or likely successful response to the threat of an epidemic*
My response to the couple who have stockpiled the supplies in their basement is a lot similar to my views on the people who panicked in the eve of the y2k. I do not blame these people for being fearful, I blame the misrepresentation of these events in the media. I do not wish to emulate these people at all. I think that life is way too short to spend it in fear. Their actions are a reasonable response not to the threat of the epidemic but to the threat of the medias view of the epidemic.

*Any other thoughts or feelings*
I hope that people will become more aware that the media is not always a legitimite source of information and that it can not only be biased but incorrect as well. The media wants to put panic into the minds of its viewers and that was the case with the bird flu news report. Sure, this virus could have been harmful but the way the presented it was very uncalled for. I am sure that it put a lot of fear into people that did not have to be there.