Coronavirus

Not the adjective I'd normally use for Campbell but he's certainly not wrong about the pathetic level of questioning we're getting from the media at present. The BBC, in particular, is asking even fewer questions of the government than usual.

It seems almost certain that the media have collectively agreed to soft soap their coverage during this period at least. Perhaps so as to not panic the public? We don't even know how many people are dying out there each day as the hospital deaths figure is pretty meaningless on its own without having some sort of an idea about the deaths in care homes and the community. I think I'm correct in saying that the numbers reported by Italy/Spain were the totals for the country as known and not just a snapshot of the hospitals?

Quoted from codcheeky

The media have been worse than useless

There has probably always been more media than the time allotted for questions allows. I'm not defending it but if they ask something controversial, it probably won't get answered and they won't get an opportunity to ask questions the following days.

Quoted from Maringer

Not the adjective I'd normally use for Campbell but he's certainly not wrong about the pathetic level of questioning we're getting from the media at present. The BBC, in particular, is asking even fewer questions of the government than usual.

It seems almost certain that the media have collectively agreed to soft soap their coverage during this period at least. Perhaps so as to not panic the public? We don't even know how many people are dying out there each day as the hospital deaths figure is pretty meaningless on its own without having some sort of an idea about the deaths in care homes and the community. I think I'm correct in saying that the numbers reported by Italy/Spain were the totals for the country as known and not just a snapshot of the hospitals?

Thinking logically there is always going to be a delay on accuracy of deaths on a given day due to either post mortem and when it has been carried out and what the cause of death was. Not all deaths in care homes or community are going to be corona related and this is due to age and underlining illness people have in care homes or other issues in the community.

After Campbells involvement with Blair who would listen to him as he has no credibility.

The media have a responsibility to report the truth and in recent years that truth has been in short supply, look at the reporting at the start they didn't report the facts and went straight into scaremongering which caused vulnerable people in the country to be put in a worse situation as shops were emptied of toilet roll and other necessities. So although you hate the government as they aren't your party of choice and want blood you'll just have to wait. The government can always fall back on Labours plan to deal with a pandemic and they can use all the Ventilators and PPE Labour bought and oh hang on.

Quoted from Marinerz93

Thinking logically there is always going to be a delay on accuracy of deaths on a given day due to either post mortem and when it has been carried out and what the cause of death was. Not all deaths in care homes or community are going to be corona related and this is due to age and underlining illness people have in care homes or other issues in the community.

After Campbells involvement with Blair who would listen to him as he has no credibility.

The media have a responsibility to report the truth and in recent years that truth has been in short supply, look at the reporting at the start they didn't report the facts and went straight into scaremongering which caused vulnerable people in the country to be put in a worse situation as shops were emptied of toilet roll and other necessities. So although you hate the government as they aren't your party of choice and want blood you'll just have to wait. The government can always fall back on Labours plan to deal with a pandemic and they can use all the Ventilators and PPE Labour bought and oh hang on.

Errrr .... have Labour been in government the last 10 years? Just checking because one of us seems to have been living in an alternative reality.

Quoted from Stadium

Article investigating press coverage & failure of the media to ask questions.

https://medium.com/@timpetheri.....british-4655bc8d50be

Also the wonderful Alastair Campbell suggesting questions & advice on putting them forward:

https://www.thearticle.com/media-questions-at-no10-briefings-are-woeful-here-are-20-they-should-ask

Campbell is bang in with those questions but we know they won’t get asked and in four years time they’ll have been forgotten.

I think the government are doing all they can to control the virus. If people did as requested there would be far fewer cases and deaths. As for what Labour would do, I doubt if they would have done things much differently. Dont forget the Shadow Health Minister agreed that we should do exactly what the scientists said. We all have our own views for whatever personal reason but very few of us are scientists so we can't really say what is right or wrong or when this or that should be done. They are the brains not us football supporters

Any sort of questioning/critical observation of the government and you're accused of 'playing politics'. I see that Priti Patel has accused Yvette Cooper of 'politicking' for asking her to appear in front of a standard cross parliament select committee.

Quoted from golfer

I think the government are doing all they can to control the virus. If people did as requested there would be far fewer cases and deaths. As for what Labour would do, I doubt if they would have done things much differently. Dont forget the Shadow Health Minister agreed that we should do exactly what the scientists said. We all have our own views for whatever personal reason but very few of us are scientists so we can't really say what is right or wrong or when this or that should be done. They are the brains not us football supporters

Did the scientists also tell them to delay ordering PPE and ventilators? And to order ventilators from Dyson as opposed to the people who make tried and tested models who asked in early February if they should start making more but were turned down?

Quoted from golfer

I think the government are doing all they can to control the virus. If people did as requested there would be far fewer cases and deaths. As for what Labour would do, I doubt if they would have done things much differently. Dont forget the Shadow Health Minister agreed that we should do exactly what the scientists said. We all have our own views for whatever personal reason but very few of us are scientists so we can't really say what is right or wrong or when this or that should be done. They are the brains not us football supporters

The Shadow Health Sec may have said that. How do we know the Government are following scientific advice? Why don’t they publish the scientific advice then like Labour have been asking?

You hold the Government to account by asking pertinent questions not by shrugging your shoulders and saying ‘would the opposition have di e differently. Unless you’re quite happy for people to die unecessarily.

According to John Humphrys, BBC interviewers have been instructed by their bosses not to put pressure on ministers in interviews and press conferences. Certainly they have had a very easy ride from all the media especially since Boris was hospitalised. Hence the media has been able to run with any interpretations of stats it fancies today and a different one tomorrow.

At a rough guess the tabloids are paying for pics and video of police actions to feed their click bait habits.