USA TODAY “Fact-Checked” Me! Here's My Response DR DAVID FRIEDMAN N.D., D.C. AUTHOR, SPEAKER, HEALTH EXPERT & RADIO/TV SHOW HOST Copyright Dr. David Friedman
Dr. David Friedman N.D., D.C. is the author of the award-winning, #1 national best-selling book Food Sanity, How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction. He's a Doctor of Naturopathy, Chiropractic Neurologist, Clinical Nutritionist, Board Certified Alternative Medical Practitioner, and Board Certified in Integrative Medicine. Dr. Friedman is a syndicated television health expert and host of To Your Good Health Radio, which has changed the face of talk radio by incorporating entertainment, shock value, and solutions to everyday health and wellness issues.
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With so much misinformation being spread about the coronavirus, it’s hard to know who we can trust. We’re being told by the media that hospitals are at capacity and the lines to be tested for the virus are wrapped around the block. Yet people are filming these supposed “at capacity hospitals” and they are empty with no lines of people waiting to be tested. Go on social media and check out the hashtag #FilmYourHospital. These and many other false news reports have created a lot of conspiracy theories. This is just modus operandi for the media. Doom and gloom fear tactics bring in more ratings for the media and that means more money from sponsors. It’s not about sharing stories of HOPE but leading with FEAR. When a building is burning, the media will report on the 2 people that died in the fire but fail to mention the 40 individuals and the pets that were saved by the firemen. When “social distancing” was recommended by the government, this quickly turned into a “Stay at Home” campaign. Celebrities, sports icons, and politicians began using the hashtag #stayathome and millions of people have been taking refuge indoors. My neighbor boarded up his windows and barricaded his entire family inside as if he’s bracing for a category 4 hurricane. While most people aren’t going to these extremes, many do believe they can get the virus by breathing outside air. To set the record straight, I wrote a sciencebacked article called, Staying indoors in-
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creases the coronavirus risk. It’s gone viral (pun intended) and so far, has been read by over a million people! In this article, I covered how viruses (including the coronavirus) don’t survive well in sunshine and fresh air. While many people are doing the right thing by social distancing, they should not be sunshine distancing. USA TODAY decided to “fact-check” my article and share with the world how wrong I was for telling people sunshine and fresh air should be our first line of defense against the coronavirus. Molly Stellino, the reporter that wrote the story, mentioned that she tried reaching out to me and claims I didn’t respond. For the record, I never received any request from Molly. Before I share my rebuttal to USA TODAY’s seriously flawed fact-checking critique of my article, please take a few minutes and read it. --- READ PAGE 16 TO READ MY ARTICLE -First, I want to say, I’m not a fearmonger. The title of my #1 best-selling book says it all, Food Sanity, How to Eat in a World of Fads & Fiction. In every chapter, I debunk common food and nutrition myths. This was also my mission when writing the
