Meghan Conroy, a US researcher with the Atlantic Council, an international affairs think-tank that has tracked social media coverage of the event, said: the last event to promote conspiracy theories and more anti-government and anti-media sentiments. Derailment. “There’s a lack of clarity about what’s happening on the ground in Ohio.”
While the EPA is monitor air and water quality in East Palestine, some of the long-term health and environmental effects from fires and chemical spills are unknown. (In fact, it wasn’t until Sunday — nine days after the derailment — that the EPA provided a complete list of chemicals on board trains operated by Norfolk Southern Rail.) Investigations are ongoing and have not yet been released. There are instant results available. Conroy said the situation created what is known as a data gap. Unsatisfied with answers from the media and government, people looked for answers elsewhere and some stepped in to fill the void.
Normally, political powerhouses distrust the media and government who promote these types of conspiracy theories, but the derailment is unique in that it has enthralled both parties. “What we’re seeing here is people of all ideologies making guesses as to why we’re not getting a lot of information,” Conroy said.
People have insisted that there is an ongoing media loss. Some, including US representatives Ilhan Omara Minnesota Democrat, took to social media to lash the national news for not covering the disaster, despite some stories from New York Times, CNNAnd NPR All reported the derailment shortly after.
Then it was decided to ignite one of the chemicals—vinyl chloridea carcinogen—to avoid an explosion, which Ohio Governor Mike DeWine describe is one of the “two bad choices”. The science surrounding chemical burns is unfamiliar to many and alarming. But experts say the outraged response has gone too far. Some government agencies have report that they found no dangerous levels of the chemical in the air or water, but suspicions continue to circulate on social media.
Daniel Westervelt, a research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who focuses on ocean physics and climate, said: especially over-hyped. to the Chernobyl disaster. After reviewing Drombosky’s viral video, Westervelt said there were still many unknowns about the derailment and offered to “seriously confirm some of the claims” when asked if the information presented was accurate. .
“This is a carefully timed, controlled burn that coincides with ideal meteorological conditions to maximize ventilation and thereby minimize health risks,” Westervelt said. speak in response to confusion about burning chemicals, including vinyl chloride. “While this course of action is not entirely ideal, it is possibly the best option available and there is no silver bullet.”
Sonya Lunder, senior adviser on poison policy, found the information in Drombosky’s viral video to be a credible scientific explanation. (Drombosky noted that the content is now outdated and encouraged people to share more recent updates.) But other content, Lunder said, raises concern by exaggerating the potential impact of the chemicals. . “There’s a tension between drawing people’s attention to an issue by telling them it could affect them, and that’s not exactly true in this case,” says Lunder. “It reduces attention from places where there is a risk of bad pollution.”
Drombosky said he had about 80,000 followers on TikTok before he started making videos about derailment, and he knows how to make a compelling video. He is frustrated with the way major news outlets have covered the event and thinks similar criticisms of bias and lack of expertise are the same as TikTok creators making the media sick. mainstream media. His coverage was intentional and blamed on the train operator, Norfolk Southern Railway. “There will be crazy people on TikTok. But have you watched Newsmax? Have you seen Fox? It’s crazy how people dance so fast, well, TikTok can be a bit of a problem.
Residents of East Palestine face uncertainty following the chemical disaster, and it’s unclear how long a small town in Ohio can hold TikTok’s attention. But TikTok’s ability to deliver today’s top news story is undeniable.
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET, February 15, 2023 to clarify the number of views Drombosky’s first TikTok video of the derailment received.
