The puzzling pandemic pundit problem

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Mar 23, 2022 View in browser   By Myah Ward Presented by President Joe Biden arrives to give remarks on his administration's response to the surge in Covid-19 cases across the country from the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images OUTSIDE IN — A now-familiar cast of pandemic pundits has spent the past two years on our television screens and social media feeds, guiding us on how to navigate Covid. We look to them for impartial, science-backed answers about what's safe and what isn't during a pandemic that has killed nearly 1 million Americans. One of these pundits, Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, is joining the Biden administration in April as the White House Covid-19 response coordinator. His elevation has raised questions among some of his fellow public health experts about how these pandemic pundits straddle the line between neutral expert and official government representative, Walid F. Gellad, a health policy professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told Nightly. And these blurred lines, he said, may be contributing to the public sense that pandemic policymaking is just an extension of partisan politics. Political and public health Twitter lit up with praise for Jha last week, and the White House touted him as an effective communicator. Other public health experts criticized the choice, suggesting Jha has used his platform to share White House talking points. Gellad was one of them. "Everybody has looked to Ashish as the calm wisdom about what we should be doing. OK, but do they also know that he's getting memos from the administration about what their plans are? Now he's going to work for the administration," he said in an interview. "When you push certain points of view in the media and on TV, that's obviously going to influence what the public feels. There are deep divisions in society about what the administration has done, and so it matters greatly what independent public experts say about it." When Gellad says "memos," he's referring to a list of people, including public health experts, who regularly receive updates and announcements from the White House communications team. This list, which includes Jha, was confirmed by a White House official, who also said Jha never coordinated his statements with the Biden administration. Even without an official title, Jha has worked with the White House alongside dozens of other public health experts, to help craft the administration's pandemic preparedness plan. He was a part of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's off-the-record discussions with public health experts who have large Twitter followings, some of whom became more vocal in their criticisms of Biden administration policy during Omicron, POLITICO's West Wing Playbook reported in December. Playbook noted that the White House maintained close ties with Jha. "The issue is, if there are individuals trying to keep good relationships with the administration, trying to stay in these private meetings," Gellad said. "I think that's probably what the public does not realize, that if someone goes on TV and starts talking about how the administration is doing a terrible job regularly, they're probably not going to be invited to these meetings anymore." Gellad pointed to a few examples of when he found the timing of Jha's pandemic punditry a bit suspect. Jha wrote an opinion column for The New York Times last month, praising the CDC's move to relax masking guidelines. The article was published the same day the agency announced the new guidelines. And in December, when the CDC reduced the Covid isolation period to five days — a move widely criticized by public health experts — Jha said it was "terrific" and "exactly what the country needs right now." Nightly contacted the CDC about the timing of Jha's statements. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it releases policy ahead of time to outside public health experts. "It was a working hypothesis among the public health experts that I've been talking to, that his messaging on TV, and through his tweets was really kind of an audition for the Biden White House," Philip Rocco, a political scientist at Marquette University, told Nightly. It's a normal practice for businesses and governments to look to social media "influencers" to guide their messaging. But this becomes more dangerous, Gellad said, when public health is involved. "This is all part of the same issue, of the politicization of public health," Gellad said. "And the problem with that is one of the major things you need in public health with a major epidemic is trust. Anything you do that reduces that trust is a big problem." Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight's author at mward@politico.com, or on Twitter at @MyahWard. A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes – by taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. We are investing in a diverse mix of businesses to broaden options beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. See how we're moving.   What'd I Miss? — Jackson reveals recusal plans from Harvard affirmative action case: Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated today that, if confirmed, she plans to bow out of a high-profile affirmative action case that the high court is set to take up this fall involving Harvard — where she sits on a governing board. Jackson, who would become the Supreme Court's first Black woman justice if confirmed, told Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that she does not intend to participate in the case brought by a group that complained that Harvard's undergraduate admissions policies discriminate against Asian Americans in favor of Black Americans and Latinos. — U.S. formally accuses Russian military of committing war crimes: The United States today formally accused unnamed members of Russia's armed forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and promising to hold Moscow accountable, including through potential criminal prosecutions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the accusation in a statement, which came days after U.S. officials raised the possibility of such allegations. Biden, in fact, recently said he thought that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a "war criminal," though Blinken's statement did not directly accuse the autocrat. 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"Much of our nation's critical infrastructure is privately owned and overseen at the state and local levels," Biden wrote in previously unreported letters to the nation's governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., one of which POLITICO obtained. "I urge you to take urgent action to exercise the authority you and your team have to prepare your critical infrastructure to withstand a cyberattack."   JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON CRYPTOCURRENCY AND REGULATION:  Cryptocurrency has gone mainstream. With the market now valued at $1.8 trillion, Washington's oversight of the fast-growing industry remains in its infancy. How should Congress and federal agencies shape future regulation of digital asset markets? Join POLITICO in person or virtually for a deep-dive discussion on what's next for crypto, regulation and the future of finance. Programming will run from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. EDT with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EDT. REGISTER HERE.     — DNC to consider shaking up presidential calendar: Members of the Democratic National Committee are circulating a draft proposal to require states — including Iowa — to apply to keep or gain early-state status in future presidential races, as the party considers upending its nominating calendar. The memo outlining the proposal will be considered on March 28 at the next meeting of the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which is tasked with setting the presidential nominating calendar. — Biden administration eyeing booster shot recommendation within weeks: The Biden administration could authorize a second Covid-19 booster shot for older Americans within weeks, amid rising concern over a potential resurgence of cases , four people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. The move under consideration by senior health officials would recommend the additional vaccine dose for adults 65 and older, in an effort to better protect high-risk people and stave off a wave of hospitalizations should infections climb rapidly as a result of the spread of the Omicron subvariant, BA.2. Currently, second boosters are only recommended for those with compromised immune systems. — NYC to lift vaccine mandate for performers and athletes like Kyrie Irving ahead of MLB's Opening Day: Kyrie Irving and other unvaccinated athletes will be allowed to play professional sports in New York City under a major policy change Mayor Eric Adams is poised to announce Thursday, sources familiar with the matter confirmed. Adams has been relaxing Covid-19 policies instituted by former Mayor Bill de Blasio since taking office Jan. 1, as he seeks to resume a sense of normalcy in the pandemic-ravaged city. The mayor is expected to declare his decision to reverse the private-sector vaccine mandate specifically for performers and athletes in local venues, including Barclays Center — home to the Brooklyn Nets — and both Citi Field in Queens and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.   A message from Altria:   Nightly Number More than 100 The number of House Republicans who have signed on to host a fundraiser for Harriet Hageman, who is waging a primary challenge to Rep. Liz Cheney in Wyoming. According to details about the event obtained by POLITICO, the list of hosts includes House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who succeeded Cheney as chair of the House GOP conference last May.   DON'T MISS POLITICO'S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE.     Parting Words President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor, to Madeleine Albright during a ceremony May 29, 2012. | Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images ALBRIGHT, REMEMBERED — Madeleine Albright, a refugee from both Nazi Germany and Soviet communism who became the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of State, died today. She was 84. A statement from her family said the cause was cancer, and that she was surrounded by friends and family. The statement recounted Albright's journey to public office, in which she "rose to the heights of American policy-making." She was a "tireless champion of democracy and human rights," her family said. As the world rearranged itself after the Cold War, Albright was a major figure in international diplomacy as President Bill Clinton's ambassador to the United Nations and later his secretary of State. A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes. Today, we are taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. From cigarettes to innovative alternatives. By investing in a diverse mix of businesses, Altria is working to further broaden options. Our companies are encouraging adult smokers to transition to a range of choices that go beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. From tobacco company to tobacco harm reduction company. And while Altria is moving forward to reduce harm, we are not moving alone. We are working closely with FDA and other regulatory bodies, and will work strictly under their framework. See how we're moving.   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   Follow us

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