First hour: How is the pandemic impacting the local housing market?
Second hour: "Plandemic," and how to have conversations with people who believe in conspiracy theories
Local realtors say Rochester’s housing market is still hot, despite the pandemic. While the number of newly listed homes has decreased sharply, buyers are taking tours over Zoom, waiving inspections, and putting in offers well over asking price. This hour, we’re joined by four real estate brokers who give us an inside look at the housing market during this unprecedented time. They also discuss how they anticipate the pandemic could change the market and the buying/selling process in the future. Our guests:
- Andy Kachaylo, president of the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors
- Susan Glenz, real estate associate broker with the Susan Glenz Team at Keller Williams Realty
- Kristin Vanden Brul, associate broker with RE/MAX Plus
- Silvia Deutsch, associate real estate broker with the Silvia Deutsch Team at RE/MAX Realty Group
Then in our second hour, “Plandemic” – the debunked film about COVID-19, featuring a discredited researcher – went viral before platforms did their best to remove it. More than eight million people watched the movie, which pushes conspiracy theories and misinformation about the origins of and treatments for COVD-19. While news sources have reported on the hoax, many people have shared points and clips from the film, saying they believe the information that has been proven false. How do you have conversations with people who promote narratives that don’t rely on facts or evidence? This hour, we have a conversation about epistemology and media literacy as they relate to “Plandemic” and beyond. Our guests:
- Zeynep Soysal, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Rochester
- Richard Feldman, professor of philosophy at the University of Rochester
- Jeremy Sarachan, chair of the Media and Communication Department; and associate professor and program director of interactive media, video, and game design at St. John Fisher College
