Selective Truth: How Media Conflated Nicotine and THC Vaping Injuries

The 2019 EVALI lung injury outbreak was caused by illegal THC vapes adulterated with vitamin E acetate, yet became the justification for restricting legal nicotine products. This case reveals how media outlets can mislead through technically accurate statements—by strategically selecting which truths to emphasize and how to juxtapose them. It demonstrates a critical vulnerability in democratic discourse: audiences scrutinize obvious falsehoods while accepting misleading implications woven from factual elements.