Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Get your science fix here: research, quackery, activism and all the rest
Post Reply
User avatar
Fishnut
After Pie
Posts: 2447
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:15 pm
Location: UK

Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by Fishnut » Thu Nov 14, 2019 9:32 am

Research that's currently in press at Vaccine has found that the just two organisations funded the majority of anti-vax facebook ads. The Guardian has a good write-up.
Researchers from George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland analyzed more than 500 ads posted between December 2018 and February 2019, when Facebook again updated its vaccine-related ads policies. Of the ads, 163 were pro-vaccine, and 145 promoted alleged harms of vaccination.

While the pro-vaccination messages came from 83 unique organizations within healthcare, 54% of anti-vaccine messages came from just two buyers: the organizations led by Kennedy and Cook.

Anti-vaccine ads also tended to be seen by more people, and to have larger budgets.
The paper is here but is behind a paywall.
it's okay to say "I don't know"

MartinDurkin
Clardic Fug
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 5:00 pm

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by MartinDurkin » Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:25 pm

(Not sure where to put this one under the new regime)

Saw this on twitter earlier. From New York Times in 1875. We're not winning.
ELWI8ZUWwAAsq7i.jpg
ELWI8ZUWwAAsq7i.jpg (84.24 KiB) Viewed 2995 times
NY Times Article 1875

Herainestold
After Pie
Posts: 2029
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:23 pm

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by Herainestold » Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:53 pm

Story on how Whole Foods in America promotes anti- vax messaging by selling magazines like Well Being Journal that consistently publishes vaccine skeptical stories.

https://www.insider.com/whole-foods-ama ... er=twitter

What is the main demographic that shops at whole Foods?
Masking forever
Putin is a monster.
Russian socialism will rise again

cvb
Clardic Fug
Posts: 228
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 8:15 am

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by cvb » Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:03 am

Herainestold wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:53 pm
Story on how Whole Foods in America promotes anti- vax messaging by selling magazines like Well Being Journal that consistently publishes vaccine skeptical stories.

https://www.insider.com/whole-foods-ama ... er=twitter

What is the main demographic that shops at whole Foods?
tw.ts

eta With too much money.

User avatar
dyqik
Princess POW
Posts: 7527
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:19 pm
Location: Masshole
Contact:

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by dyqik » Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:17 am

cvb wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:03 am
Herainestold wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:53 pm
Story on how Whole Foods in America promotes anti- vax messaging by selling magazines like Well Being Journal that consistently publishes vaccine skeptical stories.

https://www.insider.com/whole-foods-ama ... er=twitter

What is the main demographic that shops at whole Foods?
tw.ts

eta With too much money.
Here it's not _quite_ the same. It's more the US version of M&S food hall crowd plus the above. Which may or may not be redundant.

It was the only supermarket where I could buy decent bread and cheese, although that's changed a bit over the past 8 years.

User avatar
bolo
Dorkwood
Posts: 1016
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:17 pm
Location: Washington DC

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by bolo » Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:58 pm

Agree with dyqik. Here it's mostly just a supermarket with somewhat better fruit and vegetables and cheese and bread, plus a woo aisle.

Herainestold
After Pie
Posts: 2029
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:23 pm

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by Herainestold » Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:02 pm

bolo wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:58 pm
Agree with dyqik. Here it's mostly just a supermarket with somewhat better fruit and vegetables and cheese and bread, plus a woo aisle.
What is the UK equivalent?
Masking forever
Putin is a monster.
Russian socialism will rise again

User avatar
dyqik
Princess POW
Posts: 7527
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 4:19 pm
Location: Masshole
Contact:

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by dyqik » Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:11 pm

Herainestold wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:02 pm
bolo wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:58 pm
Agree with dyqik. Here it's mostly just a supermarket with somewhat better fruit and vegetables and cheese and bread, plus a woo aisle.
What is the UK equivalent?
Waitrose crossed with UK Whole Foods is probably about right in terms of position in the market.

But the average supermarkets are somewhat different - more branded products, usually no alcohol or non-food/groceries sections, less choice of ingredients. And little price comparison between them, so that products at one store might cost twice that of another (particularly imported cheese and things).

User avatar
bolo
Dorkwood
Posts: 1016
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:17 pm
Location: Washington DC

Re: Majority of anti-vaxx ads on Facebook are funded by just two organizations

Post by bolo » Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:24 pm

I would say Waitrose too, though my familiarity with UK supermarkets is less than dyqik's.

I think there must be a lot of regional variation here. As with the shoe repair shop question a few days ago, my impression of US supermarkets is different from dyqik's. Whole Foods doesn't have a good selection of non-food items, other than woo, but a typical supermarket in the DC area will have lots, and will essentially always have a wide selection of beer and wine although not spirits because of state licensing laws. I would actually expect a wider variety of ingredients here than in a Waitrose in London or Edinburgh, to the extent that I've been in those, even in a supermarket slightly less upmarket than Whole Foods. Price variability between shops may very well be greater, as dyqik states. Supermarkets are famous for offering low prices on one item to lure you in and high prices on other items to make it up. Also Whole Foods famously charges more for organic produce based entirely on the fact that it's clientele is willing to pay more, even if the same bananas are available for a lot less around the corner at Safeway.

Post Reply