Sunday 17 May 2009

Reactions to reactions to reactions to the flu

The sequence of events has been interesting.

First, people fall ill and die in Mexico. The government closes down significant parts of Mexico City. The WHO issues a level 4 pandemic threat alert.

Japanese newspapers report the threat.

The WHO raises the pandemic threat alert to level 5. 

Japanese media report the increased threat alert level and run articles on the reactions to the threat around the world.

Japanese media are vilified by the Japanese government and public for over-reacting and exaggerating the threat level.

Following mass travel to infected areas by the Japanese public during the Golden Week holidays, permitted by the Japanese government, the disease starts to spread in Japan and local governments react by closing schools in Kobe and Osaka.

One wonders how the media is expected to report this...