Jon Stewart chides the news media for trying to stir up Ebola panic

The news that Ebola has arrived in America is unsettling, but health experts say the chance of a serious outbreak in the U.S. is close to zero. Somebody should tell that to the panic-stricken news media, Jon Stewart said on Wednesday night's Daily Show. "They've drunk so much doomsday juice, they're even projecting panic onto people who are not panicking," he said. "It's almost like they're crossing their fingers for an outbreak." So what's going on?

"The problem is, the media was infected with Ebola fear a long time ago, and now that it's had its time to incubate, they're showing extreme symptoms," Dr. Stewart diagnosed. "Keep in mind, they already have a weakened immunity to any sort of panic." He's certainly right about this: It is much less frightening to hear the head of the CDC discuss Ebola with "Don't Worry, Be Happy" playing in the background. --Peter Weber

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.