Fact-Checked Source: “China arrested 8 for spreading 'hoaxes' about what is now known as coronavirus. What happened to them?”

On January 23, 2020, Poynter reporters Cristina Tardáguila and Summer Chen had an article published that claimed that 8 people were arrested in China after spreading information about the coronavirus during its early days.

Analytic Essay

Considering how many people live in China and how easy it is (or at least was) to travel between China and the U.S., it is difficult to understand why and how we know very little about what actually goes on there. Although there may be a language barrier, you would think the internet would make that obsolete; however, while the rest of the world is browsing Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, most of China is on all-inclusive social media platforms, such as WeChat or Weibo exclusive to that region. Furthermore, due to historical animosities, the two nations are reluctant to collaborate—even when it may be mutually beneficial or even necessary. There is a reciprocal distrust between the two nations. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, this distrust has led to a dangerous lack of international communication which compounds the distrust. Coming from a westernized point of view, we almost always err towards China being at the root of these issues. Although that may be the case, it is vital that we take a step back and ponder whether China’s government really deserves such demonization.

On January 24th, Poynter.org published an article with the headline “China arrested 8 for spreading 'hoaxes' about what is now known as coronavirus. What happened to them?” This headline and the associated article depicts the Chinese government as attempting to cover up the initial spread of COVID-19 in their country by practicing a number of free speech abuses, arresting doctors and others for speaking their mind. This may not come as a surprise, bearing in mind China’s amazingly awful stance on the World Press Freedom Index: 177th out of 180, compared to the U.S.’ rank at 45th (2020). Furthermore, a media bias resource rated Poynter as “Least Biased based on low emotional reporting and High” (Poynter Institute), citing proper sourcing and a clean fact check record. This supports the claim of the article. Despite this, it is still very difficult to get accurate information from China.

On another note, the San Francisco Chronicle just published an article about a U.S. death to the disease weeks earlier than any death was recorded (Kawahara). Could China be spreading similar rumors about the U.S.’s poor handling of the outbreak and our failure to be honest about its extent?

The unfortunate outcome of this international hostility is a failure to comply with the norms for effective science that social scientist Robert Merton identified: universalism, communism, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism (The Challenge from Sociology of Science). China is failing to share real data with the rest of the world, showing it does not want to cooperate with other nations from its self-interested nationalist perspective, as China has already—as far as we know—successfully handled the virus. This makes the norms of universalism and communism very difficult to achieve for studies of COVID-19. Furthermore, no one is disinterested in the outcome of their COVID study; everyone wants to be the scientist to find a treatment or vaccine. This is not exclusive to China—though perhaps China hopes to find the cure first as a nation. Organized skepticism is also a norm failing to be met on a global scale. The FDA has lifted restrictions, making it easier to get treatments on the market with little scientific replication (Commissioner). However, we have to recognize that ordinary science is not fast-paced enough to suffice for this global health emergency.

Even so, both nations need to recognize how important it is for us to properly communicate if we are to make it through this disease with minimal loss. Animosity is growing between the United States and China: our president nicknamed the COVID-19 “the Chinese virus”, and China’s actions and coverups show that they are not interested in cooperating. This is a dangerous position for two global superpowers to be in, and we should keep that in mind when adding fuel to this dispute.

Resources

“2020 World Press Freedom Index: Reporters Without Borders.” RSF, 2020, rsf.org/en/ranking.
This Source uses a number of factors in order to rank nations based on their level of "press freedom". It is very useful in identifying nations as factually repressed. It was used to show how bad China's rank is on the index.

China arrested 8 for spreading 'hoaxes' about what is now known as coronavirus. What happened to them? (2020, January 24). Retrieved from https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/ 2020/the-2019-coronavirus-virus-lands-in-the-u-s-after-killing-17-and-taking-eight -to-prison/
This is the main source to be fact-checked. Poynter.com identified that 8 people were arrested for spreading information about the coronavirus during the early days of the disease. It is important in that it provides a perspective of anti-Chinese government rhetoric.

Commissioner, Office of the. “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Issues New Policy to Help Expedite Availability of Diagnostics.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda- issues-new-policy-help-expedite-availability-diagnostics.
This source is directly from the U.S. FDA and provides information about recent changes on restrictions applicable to COVID-19 research. This is important because it indicates lowered stress on the scientific method during a time of crisis.

Kawahara. “First Known U.S. Coronavirus Death Occurred on Feb. 6 in Santa Clara County.” SFChronicle.com, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Apr. 2020, www.sfchronicle.com/health /article/First-known-U-S-coronavirus-death-occurred-on-15217316.php.
This source, identifying a failure on the U.S.'s part is useful in showing that Americans are biased in favor of the U.S. It is, however, important to note that China is likely framing us in a similar light, identifying our failures to properly handle the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Poynter Institute.” Media Bias/Fact Check, 21 Apr. 2020, mediabiasfactcheck.com/poynter-institute/.
This resource is helpful in rating the website from which the information is from. It ranks the Poynter Institute as being highly factual and, consequently, a good source for accurate information. This helped fact-check the source.

“The Challenge from Sociology of Science.” Theory and Reality: an Introduction to the Philosophy of Science, by Peter Godfrey-Smith, Univ. of Chicago Press, 2008, pp. 122–125.
This source, out of social scientist Robert Merton's book, identifies important scientific norms for unadulterated and effective science. This is very important to identify, as it makes it more clear how the United States and China are choosing to ignore these norms in favor of fueling their hostility towards one another.