Originally published on www.sayerji.substack.com

You can't fix stupid.

In yet another example of modern journalism's descent into hysteria-driven reporting, the New York Post has published an article titled, "Brooklyn Kitten Contracted Avian Flu from Another Infected Cat", which attempts to sound the alarm over a supposedly ominous case of feline-to-feline transmission of H5N1. At first glance, the story appears to provide a straightforward report on a veterinary health concern. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a familiar pattern in mainstream media: the abandonment of scientific skepticism, the exaggeration of risks, and the subtle reinforcement of pandemic-era fear narratives.

The Anatomy of a Clickbait Fear Story

The headline itself is designed to invoke anxiety. It combines three elements that trigger heightened concern in readers:

1. A novel transmission event - implying a dangerous escalation of the virus.
2. A household pet as the vector - making it feel closer to home.
3. A disease with pandemic associations - priming readers to recall the trauma of COVID-19.

The New York Post, known for its sensationalist style, uses this story to stoke public fear while providing no meaningful context regarding the broader significance of a single case. This type of reporting follows a template designed not to inform, but to alarm--a tactic that has become the hallmark of corporate media in the post-pandemic era.

What the Article Ignores

The critical questions any journalist should ask when reporting on a supposed new viral threat are conveniently ignored in this article:

1. How rare is this event? Feline infections with H5N1 are exceedingly rare, and transmission between cats is not new. The article fails to establish why this case is noteworthy beyond the shock factor.
2. What does this mean for humans? No scientific evidence suggests that this event increases the likelihood of a human outbreak. The article avoids stating this explicitly but allows fear to fester by omission.
3. What about immunity and recovery? There is no mention of whether infected cats recover, what treatment options exist, or if this strain even poses a serious risk to feline populations.
4. Was Koch's Postulates followed? There is no real evidence that Koch's Postulates were adhered to in isolating this so-called virus. How was it characterized--by electron microscope, or was it merely detected via PCR, a technique notoriously unreliable for proving viral causation? These foundational scientific questions remain unasked and unanswered.

The Bigger Agenda: Fear as a Tool

Since COVID-19, a well-documented strategy has emerged within corporate and government-aligned media: using viral outbreaks--no matter how obscure--to reinforce a constant state of public anxiety. This serves multiple agendas:

1. Justifying expanded governmental control over public health - New fear campaigns lay the groundwork for future lockdowns, mandates, and emergency powers.
2. Pushing the next pharmaceutical solution - With bird flu vaccines for poultry already in development, it's only a matter of time before human-targeted versions enter the conversation.
3. Maintaining audience engagement through fear - Outrage, panic, and existential dread drive clicks and ad revenue.

The Stupiding of Journalism

The New York Post article is just one example of a broader trend: the decline of investigative journalism in favor of fear-based reporting that treats every isolated case of a disease as a potential global catastrophe. In a rational world, media outlets would challenge assumptions, seek expert perspectives that counter official narratives, and place stories within a reasonable context. Instead, they play into a cycle of fear that erodes public trust and breeds unnecessary paranoia.

A truly intelligent response to such an article is not to share it, not to panic, and certainly not to fall for the predictable manipulation at play. Instead, the public must develop a critical lens through which to read media, always asking:

• Who benefits from this story?
• What evidence is missing?
• Why is this being reported now?

If we fail to do so, we risk falling further into a society where "journalism" is little more than a mechanism for manufacturing consent through fear. The real contagion isn't avian flu--it's the infection of our collective intelligence by corporate media's relentless stupiding of public discourse.