Study Review: "Censorship and Suppression of COVID-19 Heterodoxy: Tactics and Counter-tactics"

Authors: Yafa Shir‑Raz • Ety Elis • Brian Martin • Natti Ronel • Josh Guetzkow

November 7, 2022

Since the beginning of COVID-19, worldwide science and medical communities have undergone an unprecedented amount of controversy and divisiveness concerning COVID-19-related knowledge and policy. These disagreements have centered around the origin of SARS-CoV-2, policies of social distancing, lockdowns, masking, contact-tracing, treatment modalities and "vaccine" safety and efficacy. "Harambam (2020) has referred to these disputes as the “Corona Truth Wars.”"

Four Israeli scientists specializing in sociology, criminology and communications, along with a professor emeritus of sociology from Australia, conducted a qualitative research study of 13 highly credentialed, well-known doctors and scientists examining their subjective perceptions of the censorship and suppression tactics used against them since the early days of COVID-19. These notable scientists and medical practitioners have had their credibility and legitimacy attacked through restrictive and repressive tactics solely because of their contradictory views concerning any information related to Covid-19 that strayed from the official governmental and medical establishment position. The link to the complete twenty-seven page study, "Censorship and Suppression Tactics of COVID-19 Heterodoxy: Tactics and Counter-tactics” published online November 1, 2022, can be found at the end of this article.

The study participants are considered to be part of a COVID-19 Heterodoxy because of the anti-establishment views they hold. My belief is there are growing numbers of the world's population who would also claim membership to this heterodoxy as they become increasingly wise to evidence-based and reliable COVID-19 data. I anticipate the COVID-19 Heterodoxy will eventually convert to the orthodox view as the public watches vaxxed family members, friends and strangers continue to "die suddenly," at which time reality will "hit home" and start dominating beliefs.

Of the 13 well established doctors and scientists participating in the study “…(12 men, 1 woman)…11 have formal medical training from a variety of fields…and 2 are research scientists without medical degrees.” They represent 7 different countries: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, UK and the US.

"The study is based on in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. The questions focused on the respondents’ stance towards COVID-19 that was seen as controversial, events they experienced due to their stance, the implications of these events for their professional and personal lives, and their responses to these events."

"FINDINGS

Study participants reported being subject to a wide variety of censorship and suppression tactics used against them by both the medical establishment and the media, due to their critical and unorthodox positions on COVID-19…

...Silencing Dissent: Censoring and Suppressing Tactics

Tactics of censorship and suppression described by our respondents include exclusion, derogatory labeling, hostile comments and threatening statements by the media, both mainstream and social; dismissal by the respondents’ employers; official inquiries; revocation of medical licenses; lawsuits; and retraction of scientific papers after publication.”

The world has witnessed powerful governmental and corporate interests shamelessly flaunting peak levels of desperate measures intended to prevent members of the public from discovering their hidden agendas that wreak of greed, power and twisted ideologies. As citizens everywhere become more informed and enlightened about valid COVID-19 information, the institutional orthodoxy will continue to perpetuate censorship and propaganda by all conceivable means in order to defame and delegitimize anyone daring to voice a contrarian opinion to the medical establishment's mantra. One tactic frequently used to discredit those questioning the official line of thinking involves cover-up of the true origins of censorship, aided and abetted by independent third party sources such as other doctors indoctrinated to "tow the Covid line" and so-called "fact checkers." Another is "smear campaigns" calculated to destroy the reputations of those courageous enough to speak out and to distract the public from common sense reasoning by coercing them to ignore what they see with their own two eyes. Censorship, in general, is often disguised as the honorable virtue of "protecting the public." Intimidation has encouraged harassment by others and served as a warning to other doctors and scientists they'd better not challenge mainstream viewpoints.

"Counter‑reaction: Fighting Back

The respondents noted that their initial reaction to the attacks and censorship was shock and surprise, since for the first time in their lives they felt excluded from the scientific/medical community, attacked by the media and sometimes by their employers, and/or disparaged as “conspiracy theorists” who endanger the public health. Yet, despite the censorship, the personal attacks and defamation, the dismissals, the damage to reputations and the economic price, all respondents nevertheless stated that none of it deterred them, and they decided to fight back, using various counter-tactics," as listed below:

• First Reactions: Shock and Surprise

• Determination to Fight on grounds of free speech and concern for public safety

• Exposing the Censorship

• Using Alternate Channels such as "secret" Telegram or anonymous Twitter

• Creating Social Support Networks with fellow scientists, physicians, lawyers and politicians with similar views and opinions to exchange information, receive support and empathy from "outsiders" like them, make new friends and create a new community

• Developing Alternative Medical and Health Information Systems, such as new journals and non-profits, dedicated to providing honest, fact-based health information and medical treatment

DISCUSSION

Although initially skeptical at the study's small sample size, I realized the research methods to be successful in validating, organizing and giving name to the COVID-19 deceptions the 13 respondents and many of the rest of us have suspected or surmised all along. Extrapolated from this subset of participating physicians and scientists is hope and relief that there still exists a significant number of like-minded professionals who genuinely put their patients' and the public's welfare first and foremost by fearlessly displaying high standards, ethics and moral decency.

An illuminating outcome of this study is the similarity of findings with medically related studies done over the past forty years compared to that of the three glaring differences found to be peculiar to COVID-19 era censorship and suppression. The researchers summarized the three differences most aptly as follows:

"First, when it comes to COVID-related knowledge, the censorship tactics used against dissenters are extreme and unprecedented in their intensiveness and extensiveness, with scientific journals, and academic and medical institutions taking an active and involved part in censoring critical voices…

…Second…the current study shows that in the case of COVID, censoring doctors and researchers of this [highly esteemed] stature has become a regular phenomenon. The participants in our study…are not fringe scientists. Most of them are leading figures: researchers and doctors who prior to the COVID-19 era had a respectable status, with many publications in the scientific literature, some of them with books and hundreds of publications, some headed academic or medical departments, some of them were editors of medical journals, and some had won significant awards. Nevertheless, as our findings show, they were not protected from censorship, nor from the suppression and defamation campaign launched against them. This fact indicates that the message is that no one is exempt from censorship and no academic or medical status, senior as it may be, is a guaranteed shield against it.

The third prominent difference found in our study is the significant role played by media organizations during the COVID pandemic, and especially tech information companies, in censoring contrary positions…those who hold the power have greater ability and opportunities to control knowledge and information dissemination, and through this, to set and control the agenda…our findings…may indicate collaborations between the medical establishment and these companies. Recently released documents from court cases indicate that at least some of this censorship is orchestrated by government officials…Our findings also indirectly point to other stake-holders involved in the censorship phenomenon evident in the current crisis, especially pharmaceutical companies."

"CONCLUSION…

…Censorship and silencing practices can have far-reaching consequences, manifested in the violation of freedom of speech and of ethical principles, harming science, and potentially risking public health and safety (Elisha et al. 2022). Researchers have already warned that the COVID-19 crisis confirms previous concerns about the deleterious implications of censorship (Cáceres 2022; Mucchielli 2020). We concur with Cáceres’ assertion that censorship and dogma are foreign to true science and must be abandoned and replaced by open and fair discussion."

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11024-022-09479-4

Suzanne Crookshanks