A Covid Conspiracy in Plain Sight - WSJ
wsj.com
The press called the lab-leak theory "debunked bunkum" for years — so what does it mean when the debunkers turn out to need debunking?
GroupthinkEpistemic ClosureInstitutional CaptureOverton Window
Theory Briefing
- A writer who spent two decades opposing conspiracy theories argues the lab-leak dismissal itself followed the pattern of coordinated narrative control.
- Mainstream outlets labeled the lab-leak idea "debunked bunkum," yet the author contends the evidence never supported that confident verdict.
- The piece raises whether institutional pressure — not evidence — drove journalists and scientists to close ranks against a legitimate hypothesis.
- When the people tasked with correcting misinformation become the source of it, the usual tools for sorting truth from rumor break down.