The day the pig flu over the world

AS with most things discussed in the press, the reported cases of Swine Flu are provoking two common trails of thought.

There are those who switch on their TV, radio, log on to the web or open a paper and read about the situation, believing it all; develop a fearful look in their eyes as they clear the fridge of sausages and bacon and stock up on tissues and anti-bac hand spray.  That little bottle of hand cleaner coupled with fitful gasps by the owner as they witness other people sneezing next to them on public transport has replaced those huge "The End is Nigh" sandwich boards normally worn by skinny, slightly feral looking men with beards who used to frequent busy city centres.  They accept that whether it is Swine Flu, Bird Flu, SARS, whatever, it is going to get them in the end and that nobody will escape. 

The second type are those who find it easier to believe that it isn't actually happening, and is just the result of a quiet news week.  Somewhere in a top secret location, without anyone knowing, all of the world's press got together and decided that this week was the right time to create mass hysteria about something which is after all, never going to be as deadly as the much maligned Man Flu.  After single-handedly being responsible for creating the credit crunch, the savage messenger boys have now turned their attentions to destroying your sanity by making you believe there is a new kind of deadly flu.  And in fact it all began because an old person situated in a quiet corner of Mexico died shortly after sneezing. Probably. 

My opinion?  Well I imagine there will be indentations on my behind due to the amount of sitting on the fence I do, but the media are just doing their jobs, and complying according to demand.  If you weren't interested, you wouldn't read about it, would you? Most of it may well be sheer sensationalism, but if nobody ever reported it and the flu continued to spread, the public would start whispering about cover-ups and question of why they were never told about it.  As a journalist, it's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't. 

The days of intellectual types admitting they agree with the press have long passed and it is fashionable to belittle and criticise journalists regardless of what they report.  I imagine Swine Flu probably won't take over the world, and will soon be consigned to the list of forgotten world threats.

But not shooting the messenger? That'll be the days pigs fly.