I’ve always viewed The Australian as a reliable news source with a substantial line up of award-winning journalists, many with years of experience behind them. After finding a suspicious story in the NZ Herald, however, I have had to revise my opinion.
Covid 19 coronavirus: Nathan Turner held party days before dying
“Australia’s youngest coronavirus victim had only recently become engaged to his partner, with confusion reigning as to how the pandemic reached his home in the central Queensland town Blackwater.”
The 30-year-old was found unresponsive in his home in Blackwater by his fiance, Simone Devon, when she returned home from work on Tuesday afternoon.
Blackwater, for those who haven’t heard of it (and most haven’t), is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in Queensland about 190 km west of Rockhampton. How can it be that in a part of Australia with zero cases, we suddenly have the country’s youngest COVID-19 victim dead at the age of 30?
Well the story is credited to news.com.au which immediately sends alarm bells ringing for me so I looked up The Australian to get the “real” story
Lo and behold, The Australian says the same thing and it’s written by a Senior Reporter, so it must be true.
“Hundreds of people in the central Queensland mining town of Blackwater will be tested for COVID-19 on Thursday following the death of 30-year-old Nathan Turner, Australia’s youngest victim of the coronavirus.
The coalminer, who had been suffering seizures and was on worker’s compensation since November, was found unconscious on Tuesday and tests conducted after his death found he was carrying the virus.
So let’s be clear about this; arguably Australia’s most reputable newspaper clearly states that Nathan Turner is
“Australia’s youngest victim of the coronavirus”
While in the same article stating quite clearly
“The coalminer, who had been suffering seizures and was on worker’s compensation since November”
If the man has been suffering seizures since November, long before Covid-19 became an issue, wouldn’t that flag some possible other health issue or issues?
Of course it would, and the authors finally confront this a few sentences from the end of the article
“Mr Turner had been off work from the Jellinbah mine since November with a “complicated” medical condition, understood to relate to seizures and a separate respiratory condition.”
It’s really sad that Mr Turner died, and although he tested positive after his death, the story also notes that he was given two tests, the other being negative, so they still have work to do on this, but in the interests of accuracy and factual reporting, you’d have to say The Australian‘s headline is quite simply a lie.
At this time, there are two test results, one positive and one negative. There is a history since last November of a “complicated” medical condition which evidently includes a separate respiratory condition. At the very least, this story is a POSSIBLE death WITH COVID-19, NOT FROM COVID-19.
Of Course a headline reading “Blackwater Man Dies” is of absolutely no interest to anybody. Tag on the Covid mantle and yep, it’s a national story, and that’s the aim: eyes = income.
We all know it’s BS and scares the hell out of a lot of people but hey, does it matter? It looks impressive, gets interest which gets readers which equals profit and jobs.
Good job everybody. All good.
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