WASHINGTON, 25 October — Throughout the United States, bioterrorism has become the latest means for frenzied drama, cliffhanger mystery, science fiction, conspiracy theories, finger pointing and bewilderment with a few scattered attempts at straightforward reporting.
Enthusiastic descriptions abound. “The anthrax toll escalated dramatically, stunning health officials,” stated the Boston Herald. New Anthrax deaths were a “chilling sign that authorities have yet to contain the nation’s bioterror threat,” proclaimed the San Francisco Chronicle. NBC news called the cases “a public health nightmare.”
CBS’ Dan Rather, meanwhile, lay claim to the phrase “anthrax assassination attempt,” while on ABC, Peter Jennings’ creative juices flowed: “Before the post office, the Pony Express which delivered the mail advertised for workers willing to risk death daily. Today the post office confronts the threat of biological terror.”
Anthrax has also been used to differentiate between white-collar and blue-collar workers. “Are you not at all bothered that white-collar workers on Capitol Hill were quickly tested while blue-collar workers associated with the post office were being told they had nothing to worry about?” CBS asked DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams.
Despite clear medical or consumer information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the US Postal Service, even scientific accounts drew heavily from drama.
Anthrax was “a patient assassin waiting for its sleep to be disturbed,” said a New York Times account. “Then begins a precise but terrible execution.” CBS offered ingenuous theories about anthrax spores traveling on clothing, despite CDC’s statement that such things do not pose a risk.
Some reassuring voices have been found by the media: “If anything, you’re going to be treated really quickly,” Dr. Erika Schwartz told MSNBC.
