On The Listening Post this week: Brazil’s President Bolsonaro and COVID-19 misinformation. Plus, how well has the WHO performed as a key information source during the pandemic? Brazil’s Bolsonaro: Turning COVID-19 denial into media spectacle A president at odds with his advisers and scientists over COVID-19, who has said the virus is no worse than the flu, and whose supporters accuse the media of hyping up the story. Not Donald Trump, but Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. Even as deaths in Brazil surpass China, President Bolsonaro continues to downplay the pandemic. After firing his health minister, he went on to attend a “protest” demanding military intervention to lift the lockdown. He also has the support of two of Brazil’s biggest media players, Record TV and SBT. Whether Bolsonaro is in denial, or just playing politics, they are standing firmly by his side. Contributors: Andrew Fishman – Managing editor, The Intercept Brasil Gustavo Ribeiro – Founder, Brazilian Report Bob Fernandes – Journalist and commentator Leonardo Custodio, Postdoctoral researcher – Abo Akademi University On our radar: Richard Gizbert speaks to producer Meenakshi Ravi about a media storm in Pakistan, where a religious leader turned a televised coronavirus fundraiser into an attack on the broadcasters. Who holds WHO accountable? COVID-19 is the biggest news story most of us have ever seen. Of all the institutions responsible for getting information out, the World Health Organization (WHO) may be the most vital. The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations borne out of the recognition
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