Several prominent media outlets and figures reported on a story based on the false statements by an Oklahoma doctor that hospitals and ambulances in the area were overrun with ivermectin overdoses.
How we got here: Last week, Dr. Jason McElyea, who works at eastern and southeastern Oklahoma hospitals, told KFOR, “The ERs are so backed up [as a result of ivermectin overdoses] that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated.”
Then last Friday, Rolling Stone picked up the story, publishing an article entitled, “Gunshot Victims Left Waiting as Horse Dewormer Overdoses Overwhelm Oklahoma Hospitals, Doctor Says.”
As pointed out in a series of tweets by journalist Drew Holden, several liberal media figures then re-reported or shared the story, including MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, as well as major outlets, like The Guardian, Daily Mail, Business Insider, and Daily Kos.
The problem is that, per a statement released by one of the Oklahoma hospitals who employs Dr. McElyea, his statements are false and the hospital “has not treated any patients due to complications related to taking ivermectin.”
Holden’s remarks: Many criticized the liberal media’s dissemination of the story without independently verifying the facts it contained.
“[Rachel Maddow] had a tweet about it that went viral,” tweeted Holden. “She’s got an audience of millions of people and couldn’t be bothered to even look into a story that pretty obviously doesn’t pass the sniff test.”
“I just really don’t understand why seemingly real news outlets…didn’t bother to even look into this story before they pushed this narrative,” continued Holden. “Didn’t it sound odd? Wasn’t it worth investigating? Maybe a single phone call?”
It remains to be seen if corrections will be issued by all of the outlets and figures that pushed the story, but Rolling Stone did update their version of the story on Saturday to include the statement made by the Oklahoma hospital.
View Holden’s tweets:
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