A university professor has been called out for making an ‘abhorrent’ tweet comparing the media coverage of a fatal bus crash with those dying from Covid.
Ten people were killed when the bus they were on rolled at a roundabout in the NSW Hunter Valley at 11.30pm on Sunday.
Those on board had attended the wedding of Madeleine Edsell and Mitchell Gaffney in the the Wandin Valley Estate, with another 25 who were on the bus suffering injuries, including two who are in critical conditions.
Professor Deborah Lupton, from UNSW’s Centre for Social Research in Health, responded to a tweet that questioned why NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hadn’t commented on a recent surge in Covid-related deaths, but had spoken of the bus tragedy.
‘You know what else is a disgrace? The MSM (mainstream media) eagerly leaping on the ‘tragic wedding crash’ clickbait story while ignoring the continuing COVID deaths each week,’ she wrote.
‘Unless the driver was impaired by COVID – he’s been arrested for driving on a safe, well lit road.’
Professor Deborah Lupton, from UNSW’s Centre for Social Research in Health questioned why those dying with Covid were not given the same media coverage as those killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash
Prof Lupton responded to a tweet that questioned why NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hadn’t commented on a recent surge in Covid-related deaths, but had spoken of the bus tragedy
Social media users were quick to condemn Prof Lupton’s comments, with one suggesting she delete it.
‘What an abhorrent tweet,’ one person replied.
‘Deb, this tweet is a bit disgusting really. Not everything is COVID, maybe take that into account the next time you tweet about horrific incidents that have impacted so so many people, stay in your lane,’ said another.
‘It wasn’t well lit, it was extremely foggy,’ one comment read.
Others meanwhile defended the professor and said it was sad those dying with the virus were not given as much media attention as those involved in fatal accidents.
Prof Lupton regularly shares research and statistics on Covid infections and deaths.
In one tweet, she reposted a thread of ‘hard cold facts’ on the virus that the media ‘are not reporting or misreporting’.
The professor acknowledged the tragedy of the bus crash and said it needed to be reported on, but said the ‘real outrage’ was the ‘silence around continuing Covid deaths in Australia’.
‘Another issue is we get Chris Minns and Prime Minster Anthony Albanese appropriately expressing concern about deaths in tragedies such as this bus crash but they remain silent on the continuing tragedy of Covid deaths,’ she said.
Prof Lupton declined to comment further when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
In the week up to June 8, 81 people with Covid died in NSW.
Ten people were killed when the bus they were on rolled at a roundabout in the NSW Hunter Valley at 11.30pm on Sunday
Bus driver Brett Andrew Button, 58, has been charged with 11 offences, including ten counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, over the tragic crash
The total number of virus-related deaths in the state is more than 7,100.
Bus driver Brett Andrew Button, 58, has been charged with 11 offences, including ten counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, following the crash on Sunday.
He was granted conditional bail on Tuesday.
Survivors claimed Button made a chilling boast to the 35 passengers on board just moments before he allegedly lost control of the vehicle.
Button allegedly said ‘if you think that was fast… watch this’ over the vehicle’s internal microphone before the bus rolled near the Hunter Expressway off-ramp at Greta, 183km north of Sydney.
As of Tuesday morning, 14 people remain in hospital.
Seven of the dead are understood to be from the nearby town of Singleton.
They include Tori Cowburn and Rebecca Mullen, mother and daughter Nadene and Kyah McBride and Kyah’s boyfriend Kane Symons.
Married couple Andrew and Lynan Scott, from Singleton, also died in the crash. They appear to have two children.
Angus Craig from Queensland and Zachary Bray from Byron Bay are also among those who lost their lives, as is Darcy Bulman from Victoria.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
Content source - www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.comOriginal Article
