Why Ebola Freaks Us Out

The following is a MediaNote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 classes in October 2014.

People are avoiding flu shots because they fear walking into an Ebola-tainted hospital. U.S. residents from West Africa (including those who have not been back there for years) report that they are being treated strangely. Some politicians have called for stepped up patrol of the U.S.-Mexican border, even though Mexico is nowhere near West Africa.

Over-the-top fear of the Ebola virus has scared us into some odd ideas and behaviors. What is it about Ebola that makes it so much more scary than other dangers that kill many more people? NPR reports.

Questions...

•One person has died of Ebola in the United States. The flu, on the other hand kills around 25,000 Americans per year. So why are some Americans afraid of going to the hospital to get flu shots because they fear getting Ebola?

•How do movies and television shows make us more afraid of deadly diseases?

•How does news coverage make us more afraid of Ebola?

•How should the news media cover Ebola?

•If Ebola does begin to spread more widely in the U.S., how might social media help spread information in a positive way? How might social media reaction make things worse?