The "extremes" are of illusion: the media hasn't been this unified before. Even in WW2 there was more diversity of opinion in big business / government "advised" media. It was possuble to say in polite society "perhaps the propaganda is wrong".<p>"the COVID panic was oversold from the start," probably isn't something the author wants to hear. It might be a comforting realization but it would represent Tribal Deviance which is even scarier.