Interesting SLATE post-mortem on the crazy U.S. communication response to Ebola (mainly the media, but other groups as well, including some virologists). Ebola Panic Anniversary -- Lessons Learned
It's crazy how much the 24 hour news cycle and the need to click bait can infect (yes, intended) so much of our country at the worst possible times. When everyone needs to be calm and behave rationally, the people that the majority of the country listen to benefit the most from telling us to do the exact opposite...and yet we all still listen to them.
It's a serious problem, IMO, and I don't see our mechanism to address the problem. It's only getting worse; the move to internet streaming and news (and ugh, twitter) is only increasing the hyperbolic competition and desperation for instant clicks and views. Not sure where that ends.
Trust experts over twitters ? We have a few case and we panic. Imagine what the folks over in Africa were thinking with cases doubling every few weeks during peak. Credit to the world for jumping in and help. I don't know how big a part the US military play, but seems like a worthwhile investment and lesson to follow for future outbreak of deadly diseases, given how fast things move now that we are so interconnected... and you know there will be.
