Will The US Reach ‘Herd Immunity’ This Spring?, Looking At How The News Media Cover Extreme Politicians

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time
A nurse in a blue vest peers through plexiglass as she speaks to people about to receive the vaccine
Alison Hernandez, right, a nursing student at Maranatha Baptist University, provides educational information about the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, at Jefferson County Fair Park. Angela Major/WPR

A professor of public health policy explains his prediction that Americans could beat the coronavirus in just a matter of weeks. And we discuss with a political scientist data that show extreme politicians and political views receive more coverage from news media than more reserved rhetoric.

Featured in this Show

  • Is The End Of The Pandemic In Sight?

    According to our guest, if current trends in America hold, COVID-19 will be mostly gone in just a few weeks, allowing people to return to their normal lives. We look at what he’s basing his herd immunity forecast on and how he says the country should proceed.

  • How Coverage Of Extreme Political Views Warps Perceptions

    Politicians with extreme views tend to get more coverage from the media, research shows. We hear how lawmakers have leveraged this, and what it means for American democracy.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Michele Gerard Good Technical Director
  • Bill Martens Producer
  • Laura Pavin Producer
  • Dr. Marty Makary Guest
  • Joshua Darr Guest