Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Speak first. Repeat often. Don't worry too much about the truth.


Thanks to fake news - 1,282 Americans got the measles in 2019, the worst epidemic in 27 years.

So how did a preventable disease that was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 make a comeback? 

It all started with a fraud named Andrew Wakefield.  He published his fake news story complete with false data about 12 children in a medical journal in 1998, in an effort to extort money from vaccine makers.
 
The poorly vetted journal retracted the paper in 2010.  And Wakefield's license to practice medicine was revoked for his "dishonest and irresponsible behavior."  But the damage was already done.  And the repercussions continue to be felt.  (Rao & Andrade, 2011)

Because if you speak first and repeat often, people will believe you, even if you aren't telling the truth.  


 
If you are interested in learning more about how psychology, sociology and anthropology impact decision-making, check out my latest book - now available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Title: Speak first.  Repeat often.  Don't worry too much about the truth.

Author:  PJ Lehrer

ISBN #: 978-0-9897422-4-5







Rao, T.S. & Andrade, C. (2011, April)  The MMR vaccine and autism: Sensation, refutation, retraction, and fraud.  nih.gov.  Retrieved August 18, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136032/

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