Thunberg will be appearing alongside former CDC director Richard Bresser, former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Major Baseball League Comissioner Rob Manfred as part of CNN’s Coronavirus: Facts and Fears programme.
Following an outcry from Twitter, Thunberg has responded denying the claim she’d be appearing as an “expert”.
“Tonight I’ll be interviewed on CNN to talk about the new campaign supporting @UNICEF during COVID-19 and about being an activist in a world altered by the coronavirus,” Thunberg wrote on Twitter. “It seems some people thought I was going to be on an expert panel, which of course has never been the case.”
“I am not an expert. I am an activist. The only people claiming that I’m an “expert” are those who are trying to ridicule me,” she added. “My message has always been to unite behind the science and listen to the experts.”
While many have criticised CNN for adding a teenager to the panel, others have pointed out the programme has featured several ‘non-experts’ in the past.
Filmmaker Spike Lee, chef Jose Andres and former Vice President Al Gore have all appeared on the Coronavirus: Facts and Fears panel, speaking the impacts of the pandemic in their industries or areas of expertise.
Some have pointed out that featuring a prominent young figure on the panel is a positive way to inform and educate a younger audience.
“Thunberg’s activism also gives her an undeniable platform which she has used to inform people about the pandemic,” writes journalist Poppy Noor from The Guardian.
“After showing mild symptoms of Covid-19 in late March after a trip around Europe, Thunberg chose to quarantine away from her family for two weeks and encouraged other young people to do the same.”
