Two headlines that inspired this post:
“Experts say it may be time for grocery stores to ban customers from coming inside”/CNN April 19, 2020
“Experts say U.S. testing must double or triple to reopen safely”/ MSNBC April 17, 2020
I used to be an expert. That is, I was paid to provide opinions in court. There was always an expert on the other side who provided a different opinion.
Experts may agree on long-established facts but that’s about it. But the media isn’t going to run a headline on a long-established fact (“Experts say the common cold is caused by a virus!”). These days a politicized media will want headlines that support their political agenda. In the case of COVID-19, I’d say the agenda for many news organizations is to prevent Donald Trump from being reelected president. So if Donald wants the US to reopen soon, the headlines will suggest he’s wrong, because, you know….”experts say.”
Note! I am not a Trump supporter. Didn’t vote for him before and don’t plan to later this year. But I do believe in journalistic standards and integrity. In that spirit, more truthful headlines would start with “Some experts say”.