I would like to comment on Peter Vogel’s Feb. 17 reference to “unhelpful newspaper headlines” regarding the coronavirus.
The Feb. 5 Vancouver Province used the phrase “2nd China virus case in B.C.,” leading to the dissatisfaction of China’s Ambassador in Vancouver Tong Xiaoling. She issued a statement and in a CBC interview said the paper’s use of the term “China Virus” was racially biased, discriminatory, unprofessional, and deserving censure. She demanded an apology.
Harold Munro, editor-chief of The Vancouver Sun and The Province, responded that the headline did not seek to describe the disease but rather its place of origin and did not carry any hint of discrimination.
I also do not feel that “China virus” carries any discriminatory attitude. Traditionally, the world press uses terms to describe any disease’s place of origin to distinguish one from another. Think of “Spanish flu,” “German measles,” and “African swine fever.” None of these terms carry any discriminatory slant, and no country ever demanded apology over them. Compared with more scholarly or official terms, such as “COVID-19,” associating a disease with its place of origin makes it easier to remember, as well as making it more understandable and identifiable.
When the viral infection first emerged in Wuhan, China’s government prevented the news from disseminating, suppressed freedom of expression, and strangled people’s right to information. The disease progressed from containable to uncontrollable within a period of only 20 days and delayed any preventative measures until the situation got out of hand.
It should be clear that the viral scourge developed to its current state because of China’s suppression of freedom of speech and information, obfuscation of truth, and delay of any preventative measures, leading to its worldwide dissemination. The one person who really needs to apologize to the entire world is President Xi Jinping, and the government under him.
Patrick May
Vancouver
