Skill Level: 🐾 Beginner
What This Tool Is
Authoritarians love using press conferences to blast misinformation straight into living rooms. They stage them like theater — hand-picked “experts,” cherry-picked “science,” and a backdrop of flags to make it look legit. Today’s Tylenol-and-vaccine autism presser was textbook gaslighting. This guide gives you claws to slice through the spectacle.
Why It Matters
Pressers aren’t about informing the public — they’re about controlling the narrative. If people believe Tylenol or vaccines cause autism, families make dangerous choices. The real danger isn’t the presser itself, but the echo effect: clips, headlines, and social shares that spread lies further than truth.
Example of Importance
Trump, RFK Jr., and Dr. Oz stood together to announce “science” that every real doctor rejects. Without immediate pushback, that lie mutates into “fact” for millions. Survivors of misinformation — and their kids — pay the price.
Step-by-Step Survival Guide
- Watch With a Skeptical Tail Flick
Assume spin. Don’t take claims at face value. - Check the Cast of Characters
Who’s on stage? Are they medical experts or TV personalities looking for relevance? - Track the Receipts
Fact-check in real time: FDA, CDC, WHO, peer-reviewed studies. Keep trusted sources bookmarked. - Spot the Spectacle Tricks
Big flag backdrop? Handpicked clapping audience? That’s propaganda theater, not science. - Don’t Amplify Lies
Share fact-checks, not raw clips. Quoting misinformation without debunking it only spreads it. - Educate Your Pride
Show friends how to spot the tricks, so they don’t get hypnotized by the show. - Claw Back the Narrative
Use your voice — blogs, social media, conversations. Lies only win if we let them echo unchallenged.
🐾 Final Word from Resistance Kitty
A presser is just theater with bad actors. Don’t clap. Don’t believe. Expose the stagecraft, shred the lies, and walk away with your tail high.
Sources
- Reuters – Trump Tylenol vaccine autism claims
- PBS – Expert response to Trump claims
- FDA – Autism & acetaminophen statement
- CDC – Vaccines and autism