Are the Media Gaslighting Americans about All Things Health?
You may not be aware of this, but the current trust in the media is at an all-time low.
A few decades ago, the media was revered and considered the 4th estate, a concept that referred to the press and media’s role in monitoring and influencing government and society.
Now, more people than ever believe the media is anything but a friend, and some would consider the media an enemy.
I’m not here to tell you they’re your enemy…but I want to make you aware that it’s hard to say the media is on your side when it comes to your health.
As I’ll show you, the media is often actively attempting to trick you and make you think that you’re taking crazy pills for asking better questions.
That’s what I think doctors and their patients ought to be allowed to do: ask better questions.
If we’re not collectively asking better questions, we’re never going to get better answers about improving our health as a nation. I think we can all agree that this country desperately needs this.
My intention today is to give you some examples of how this plays out and of course, encourage you to take control of your health and the information you consume so it can lead to better outcomes for you and your family.
Yes, I Think They’re Trying to Make You Feel Like You’re Crazy
As I dive into this topic, it’s impossible for this not to be somewhat polarizing.
My recent article about what I expect to happen under Trump’s administration (regarding healthcare) ruffled a few feathers. Which I’m fine with.
Again, I’m indifferent to how you vote and what side of the aisle you’re on politically. The only thing I’m invested in is being able to help patients from all walks of life figure out what’s wrong with them and address the root causes of illness.
This is why it’s so important to realize that the media is crafting narratives that may keep people sick.
Take this for instance.
A few weeks ago, RFK Jr. said if he were to work with Donald Trump, he’d attempt to help make many of the foods sold on American shelves (and subsidized by government agricultural programs) healthier.
Again, just because I’m writing about RFK Jr. doesn’t mean I believe everything he believes, but if you decide to write an email accusing me of being an RFK Jr. acolyte, please listen to the following information first.
RFK Jr. singled out Fruit Loops as an example of what’s problematic in America. He lamented that the American version of Fruit Loops has more ingredients than the Canadian version and that the Canadian version is “healthier.” You can see the video here.
Now, I put quotations around healthier because I don’t think Fruit Loops are a healthy food. That being said, the point RFK JR. is making is that we put chemicals in foods in the U.S. that other countries refuse to use - or have outright banned.
After the video went public, the New York Times, a newspaper that was once regarded as a nation-leading institution, tried to make it look as if he was lying.
Check this out.
“Mr. Kennedy has singled out Froot [Fruit] Loops as an example of a product with too many artificial ingredients, questioning why the Canadian version has fewer than the U.S. version. But he was wrong [emphasis added by me here]. The ingredient list is roughly the same, although Canada's has natural colorings made from blueberries and carrots while the U.S. product contains red dye 40, yellow 5 and blue 1 as well as Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, a lab-made chemical that is used ‘for freshness,' according to the ingredient label.”
Was he wrong?
No, not even close.
This is an egregious example of what happens daily in publications across the United States.
Now, the better question is, “why?”
Why is the media gaslighting people into thinking they’re crazy to question established norms around food and medicine?
By the way, if you’re unfamiliar with the term gas lighting, “it’s a form of psychological abuse where a person causes someone to question their sanity, memories, or perception of reality. People who experience gaslighting may feel confused, anxious, or unable to trust themselves.”
So, why are we being gas-lit? Why would a premier newspaper like the NYT do something like this?
While it sounds like a conspiracy, it comes down to one thing.
Money and control (basically the same thing here).
A few corporations own the major media outlets, and the leading advertisers for many of these outlets are pharmaceutical and agricultural interests.
Because these industries bankroll the news media, they’re essentially held captive by these conglomerates and aren’t able to bite the hand that feeds them.
You may think this is the proclamation of a tin-foil hat-wearing conspiracy theorist, but ask yourself this question. Would you do anything different if your job and livelihood were on the line? Perhaps not.
It’s not like journalists far and wide are “in on this together.”
More than likely, the work culture they’re a part of does this unquestioningly and has done so for decades. The news media as a whole isn’t going to bite the hand that feeds them, and if anything, they’re going to defend their primary source of financial stability to ensure they’ve got a job tomorrow.
This is why people are being gas-lit left and right about all things health.
You name it, whether it’s vaccines, fluoride, aspartame, or canola oil. Vested interests want to keep the money flowing just like any other company. It just so happens that these interests control the media.
All I care to do in this article is add illumination to what’s going on and encourage you not to take everything you read at face value.
That includes what I’ve written. Maybe I’m wrong about this, and perhaps I’m not. But if you’re not asking better questions…and if I’m not asking better questions, we will only end up with unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous answers.