Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[beorhthelm]

That piece is bs. The press are reporting good news stories. They have a duty to question those in charge even in the time of crisis.

actually they dont, this is something the world of journalism has self-imposed on themselves. they have a duty to report on events, not interrogation and driving agenda for the sake of a news cycle.

 

[nicko31]

This nails it for me.

https://www.effiedeans.com/2020/04/journalism-is-missing-mood-country.html

I think the individual concerned seems pretty content to rely on the output from the Ministry of Truth, suffice to say some of older posts are a hoot

We need our free press more than ever to tell us the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn't China....

 

[BLOCK F]

This nails it for me.

https://www.effiedeans.com/2020/04/journalism-is-missing-mood-country.html

Spot on.
Some on here won't agree!

 

[LamieRobertson]

I think the individual concerned seems pretty content to rely on the output from the Ministry of Truth, suffice to say some of older posts are a hoot

We need our free press more than ever to tell us the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn't China....

If only they did, rather than concentrate on sensationalism..but hey what’s new

 

[keaton]

actually they dont, this is something the world of journalism has self-imposed on themselves. they have a duty to report on events, not interrogation and driving agenda for the sake of a news cycle.

They have a duty to check what they publish is accurate. They can only do this by questioning it.
But yeah I'm sure you'll get far too more truth directly from the politicians or anonymous online sources

 

[Is it PotG?]

They have a duty to check what they publish is accurate. They can only do this by questioning it.
But yeah I'm sure you'll get far too more truth directly from the politicians or anonymous online sources

Indeed, always trust what is said in the press.

 

[keaton]

Indeed, always trust what is said in the press.

You don't have to implicitly trust the press. But they have rules and regulations to be fair,honest, truthful and non libellous than policitians or online commentators.

 

[ManOfSussex]

That piece is bs. The press are reporting good news stories. They have a duty to question those in charge even in the time of crisis. They did in the financial crisis, they did it in the Falkands and Second World War.
In 2008 people didn't complain that people were playing politics with it and we should wait til it's sorted until we start blaming people.
I'd wager the same people complaining about negative coverage of the government are the same people complaining about snowflakes unable to hear bad things the rest of the time

It was the inevitable WW2 analogy at the end that made it 'Not for me, Clive' as well.

You're quite right with your wager above too. Each to their own though.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

This isn't a black-and-white issue, but I think there's much more commonality between five of those countries (Hungary being the exception, and it's cranking up its exceptionality currently) than you credit. That's certainly the direction of travel, perhaps in part as a result of a recognition of the shallowness or repulsiveness of the differences that were exacerbated a century or so ago. That's not to claim that this direction of travel is set in stone, but that's my current hunch at least.

The EU was founded by the desire to stop Europeans killing one another. It has been largely successful. But in current terms, I do not see it as you do, there is a huge swing from many countries, away from centralisation and homogeneity. Don't make the mistake that Brexit is an outlier. The EU's response to coronavirus has been nothing short of embarrassingly bad and they have acknowledged that with an apology. But the damage, particularly in Italy and Spain is done.

 

[LamieRobertson]

You don't have to implicitly trust the press. But they have rules and regulations to be fair,honest, truthful and non libellous than policitians or online commentators.

LOL...which paper do you write for?

 

[beorhthelm]

You don't have to implicitly trust the press. But they have rules and regulations to be fair,honest, truthful and non libellous than policitians or online commentators.

you're on a wind up, got me.

 

[keaton]

LOL...which paper do you write for?

For example off the top of head ITV and radio station were warned and reprimanded for their handling of the 5g issues. All celebs and commentators did was delete their comments so it wouldn't look bad on them

 

[Machiavelli]

The EU was founded by the desire to stop Europeans killing one another. It has been largely successful. But in current terms, I do not see it as you do, there is a huge swing from many countries, away from centralisation and homogeneity. Don't make the mistake that Brexit is an outlier. The EU's response to coronavirus has been nothing short of embarrassingly bad and they have acknowledged that with an apology. But the damage, particularly in Italy and Spain is done.

I have been told that one before, but yet to see any evidence for it. Irrespective of whether the EU survives or not, Europe is in decline. The key question is how that decline is halted, and I think you and I differ on that point.
The world is speeding up at the moment, and you'd have to have some incredible insight to indicate how it pans out in five years time, ten years, etc

 

[keaton]

you're on a wind up, got me.

No that's a a fact. I get you have issues with some of these.

 

[dazzer6666]

Even the most positive person would admit there is a lot more negative than positive stuff happening.
The point of the press conference would be to question what is happening and what they're saying.
There are also issuea with a lot of what people are highlighting as good news stories. the PPE order was regarded as good news , but then it didn't arrive for 2/3 days later than expected. If the government has made mistakes that will cost lives that is the biggest story

Yes but the point is there is no balance whatsoever, and it's dragging many people down - it's an entirely negative narrative from all sides of the press - it's like they are in a pathetic willy-waving competition to see who can be the most 'challenging' - I imagine the likes of Peston etc at sitting around smugly after every press conf thinking 'oooh, I had him squirming for a bit then......' after asking the same question (which in reality is always thinly veiled criticism) 6 days in a row. The positive news is never talked about and just glossed over with another wailing about why we can't have a clear and detailed lockdown exit plan yet (for example). The mistakes may be part of the biggest story, but it's not the only story (or shouldn't be)

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I have been told that one before, but yet to see any evidence for it. Irrespective of whether the EU survives or not, Europe is in decline. The key question is how that decline is halted, and I think you and I differ on that point.
The world is speeding up at the moment, and you'd have to have some incredible insight to indicate how it pans out in five years time, ten years, etc

I agree that Europe generally is in decline. However there is plenty of evidence for anti-EU sentiment. How it pans out is another question.

 

[nicko31]

You don't have to implicitly trust the press. But they have rules and regulations to be fair,honest, truthful and non libellous than policitians or online commentators.

A mate of mine does freelance celeb stuff for the red tops, the one thing he does say is they are pretty paranoid about getting sued and everything gets looked over in depth by their legal team

They do come unstuck and you get high profile cases but actually not that often

 

[LamieRobertson]

For example off the top of head ITV and radio station were warned and reprimanded for their handling of the 5g issues. All celebs and commentators did was delete their comments so it wouldn't look bad on them

I think you’ve missed the point that Dazzer was making and personally if you think the press is all about being honest and truthful then maybe a touch naive

 

[keaton]

I think you’ve missed the point that Dazzer was making and personally if you think the press is all about being honest and truthful then maybe a touch naive

I don't, but I think they're better than anything else

 

[:J)]

This nails it for me.

https://www.effiedeans.com/2020/04/journalism-is-missing-mood-country.html

"The worst of all is the daily press briefings."
Really? I switch off, because it's largely a stage-managed, party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party. The questions from Laura and the rest of the journalists are hardly 'savage'. Anything that is even mildly 'investigative' is knocked back with empty rhetoric "ramping up", "working night and day", "moving heaven and earth" and "the science has changed" (has it f***) etc, ad nauseam.

"There has never previously in the whole world been such a lockdown."
Yeah... apart from, you know, a hundred years ago, with the Spanish Flu. Albeit, not in (most) people's lifetimes.

"The only insight from the Sunday Times was that hindsight is a wonderful thing."
I wouldn't agree. It highlighted that the government and their advisors refused to listen to expert opinion from the WHO, as well as ignoring the horrific situation developing in Northern Italy. To delay the lockdown until the 23rd March wasn't just a mistake - it was a deliberate ploy (Herd immunity / Nudge theory) and part of Cummings/Johnson's masterplan to let the virus rip through the population, whilst profiting from the global lockdown:

[TWEET]1251462463134064645[/TWEET]

"The first thing you learn in history is that people make mistakes."
I would say that the most important thing is more that people don't learn from history.

"I didn’t read a single journalist in January or February who predicted that Britain would be locked down in March."
True... but why ask journalists? What do they know? Ask the experts: We scientists said lockdown. But UK politicians refused to listen

And who is Effie Deans, when she's at home?