http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-zika-summit-20160401-story.html

About once a year, there seems to be a new, “deadly” disease outbreak in some underdeveloped country. Although this “deadly” disease is usually harmless to developed countries like the United States, the media feels the need to write articles that scare the living day light out of the protected Americans. This was the case with Ebola, which few people, and now it is the case with the Zika disease. The Chicago Tribune put fear in the eyes of Americans by exaggerating facts and stats and telling effects of the disease that has yet to infect anyone in the United States of America.

The article begins by explaining that more than 300 state officials attended a Zika Summit last week. Really? A summit for a disease that has yet to come close to the United States? Even if the disease does eventually reach the UnitedStates, a large majority of homes have air conditioning and screens on windows making it almost impossible for the Zika infected mosquitos.

The Chicago Tribune then goes on to say that infections in pregnant women are linked to fetal deaths and potentially devastating birth defects. What the article fails to mention until the bottom of the paragraph is that this is only happening to women in Brazil. The article also fails to mention that there is absolutely no empirical evidence to support that Zika is linked to fetal deaths. There is only a slight link between Zika in pregnant Brazilian women and hydrocephalus. By mentioning that Zika is linked to fetal death, the Chicago Tribune genuinely scared a large amount of its readers.

Later on in the article, it is mentioned that the United States has not seen these types of efforts to stop a disease since the yellow fever in the 1950s. By making this comparison, the baby boomers will link Zika to the yellow fever which, as of right now, are not similar at all.

The Chicago Tribune does a great job of putting fear into the eyes of Americans when it is not really necessary. Zika will most likely come and go just like Ebola and the Swine Flu did years ago. While a handful of people may become infected, the Tribune is suggesting that it could be the next yellow fever. However, maybe by provoking fear in Americans, it has made them more cautious, and therefore, less likely to contract the disease. Instead of getting mad at the media for scaring Americans, the media should be thanked for making Americans fear the worst.