Look at today’s Internet with the right lens, and you can watch a conspiracy theory being born: While scientists are increasingly convinced that Zika virus is behind an uptick of the birth defect microcephaly in Brazil, an Argentinian activist group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns has blamed—perhaps not surprisingly—spraying.
In this case, the activists are blaming insect killers called larvicides. Bonus conspiracy points! The larvicide vaguely has to do with ag-chem company (and perpetual badguy) Monsanto.
The group’s speculation spread. Small online news sites covered it over the weekend, and then on Tuesday, the Washington Post published a story. Here is a secret about journalism: Headlines that are questions are for butt-covering. Case in point: “Could chemicals—rather than the Zika virus—be to blame for birth defects in Brazil?”
More bonus points! A celebrity tweeted it out.
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/699969705264545792
Look, it’s almost certainly not a Monsanto larvicide hurting kids. But the fear is understandable.
Read the rest of the story at Wired
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