What you're saying is called a semantic dispute. It means you're debating over the literal meaning of a word rather than the actual substance of the argument. I

What you're saying is called a semantic dispute. It means you're debating over the literal meaning of a word rather than the actual substance of the argument. If you take "lie" literally, then yes you arrive at your conclusion but then you'd be misleading yourself and ignoring the obvious: saying masks weren't recommended was intentionally deceptive and potentially cost lives. That is the point of the article and the point you should be arguing. It for sure has caused distrust in these organizations; the fact that we're debating this right now is proof.