Media Coverage of COVID -19

[kez19]

<tongue in cheek mode on>
How will Sky maintain their reputation as a serious news organisation if hypocrite Burley is allowed back on air, ever?

Easy just suck it up to the UK Government and say sorry.... its similar up in Scotland STV News/BBC Scotland seem to hold onto every word Nicola Sturgeon says without doing much research...

In general now I don't much trust the media in general from both a UK and Scotland perspective - I wouldn't be surprised if most of these organisations have to toe the line... if so it just a pity none of have a backbone and tell those to get on a bike but seems pretty clear that the media loves this as much as the politicians, so just let them have their play it'll eventually come down with a big bang anyway, they'll be held accountable just as much as OFCOM are.

 

[yorksrob]

A better outcome would be for her to be instructed to take the opposing view on air and argue against lockdowns!

Indeed. Or even just a more questioning view.

 

[kez19]

I suppose the trouble is it would cause a conflict of interest were there to be something like another Cummings affair, as they could hardly then go on the attack without being accused of being a hypocrite.

On a more general level it’s perfectly symptomatic of the wider population. On the one hand claim the importance of restrictive measures, but then fail to follow them themselves.

As the saying goes... lead by example.... highlight all wrongs of public - be punished, but be a journalist/politician again its the slapped wrist approach. Surely not the public are not being played here? ... Oh wait i'll reach for my tinfoil.

Just a thought, regarding the "social event" or as I'll simply put it a COVID party did anyone get fined? Wasn't long ago COVID parties we're getting fined weren't they not?


I spoke too soon just found a recent one on google dated 2 days ago...

Partygoers caught celebrating birthday at holiday home slapped with Covid fines

Nearly 20 partygoers have been slapped with coronavirus fines after attending a 30th birthday party at a holiday home.

www.watfordobserver.co.uk

Nearly 20 partygoers have been slapped with coronavirus fines after attending a 30th birthday party at a holiday home.


Hertfordshire Constabulary says a “large group of people” were found celebrating and ignoring restrictions at the home in Letchmore Heath, near Radlett, on Saturday, December 5.


The force says it was called by several concerned members of the community who reported loud music, fireworks and a clear breach of the rule of six around 10.55pm.
Police say they found a large number people in the garden and inside the property, with DJ mixing decks, amplifiers and party food.
A total of 19 £200 fixed penalty notices were issued to partygoers, who were from Essex and North London.

 

[DB]

If I committed a criminal offence I'd be sacked, so...

As far as criminal offences go, it's as minor as they come.

 

[Yew]

Is it just me that doesn't equate 'nearly 20' with being a 'large group'?

 

[DB]

Is it just me that doesn't equate 'nearly 20' with being a 'large group'?

So 19 at most, then! The usual exaggeration in reporting it.

Wonder what the long term effects on community cohesion will be from this sort of snitching to the police?

 

[bramling]

As the saying goes... lead by example.... highlight all wrongs of public - be punished, but be a journalist/politician again its the slapped wrist approach. Surely not the public are not being played here? ... Oh wait i'll reach for my tinfoil.

Just a thought, regarding the "social event" or as I'll simply put it a COVID party did anyone get fined? Wasn't long ago COVID parties we're getting fined weren't they not?


I spoke too soon just found a recent one on google dated 2 days ago...

Partygoers caught celebrating birthday at holiday home slapped with Covid fines

Nearly 20 partygoers have been slapped with coronavirus fines after attending a 30th birthday party at a holiday home.

www.watfordobserver.co.uk

So the real issue for the “concerned neighbours” in the example quoted was the loud music and fireworks during the mid evening...

 

[kez19]

So the real issue for the “concerned neighbours” in the example quoted was the loud music and fireworks during the mid evening...

I guess people have forgotten what life was like in.... 2019?

The only thing I noticed this year was how loud fireworks have become though but 2020 the year of the social media troops!

 

[Skimpot flyer]

So the real issue for the “concerned neighbours” in the example quoted was the loud music and fireworks during the mid evening...

I’m reminded of a line from the song ‘Magic’s Wand’ by Whodini

There’s no need for them to get excited
They’re just mad because they’re not invited!

 

[adc82140]

The done thing for celebrities and politicians is to ignore the rules, then put some lily livered "apology" on Twitter. I have a dormant twitter account, does that mean I can do what I like as long as I write something like "I've let myself and the organisation down" afterwards?

 

[kez19]

Call me cynical once more... but isn't this possibly a move a goalpost moment? (spotted this on my news app on iphone last night)... i'll even drop a hint a "third wave" .... scare/fearmongering at its best!

Normal by summer if UK avoids third coronavirus wave, says vaccine scientist

UK back to normal by summer if post-Christmas third wave of Covid avoided, vaccine scientist Sarah Gilbert says

www.thetimes.co.uk

Britain could be “back to normal” by summer if it avoids a third wave after Christmas, the British scientist behind a Covid vaccine has said.

Sarah Gilbert, the lead researcher on the Oxford vaccine, said “people’s behaviour in the coming weeks is going to have a big impact” on when masks and social distancing requirements can be dropped. She added that a spike in coronavirus cases next month would disrupt vaccination programmes.

*its paywalled online but I can see full article on the app (strange?! ... i'm not registered with The Times either)

Yet its reported just now of a new strain of COVID has been found....(its on another thread too), surely can't be coincedence surely?

'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England

The new strain may be growing faster in some parts of the country, Health Secretary tells MPs.

www.bbc.co.uk

A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, MPs have been told.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant.
He said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were doing detailed studies.
He said there was "nothing to suggest" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.

Well thats one way of the media to push put the fear factor into everyone once again...

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Call me cynical once more... but isn't this possibly a move a goalpost moment? (spotted this on my news app on iphone last night)... i'll even drop a hint a "third wave" .... scare/fearmongering at its best!

Normal by summer if UK avoids third coronavirus wave, says vaccine scientist

UK back to normal by summer if post-Christmas third wave of Covid avoided, vaccine scientist Sarah Gilbert says

www.thetimes.co.uk

*its paywalled online but I can see full article on the app (strange?! ... i'm not registered with The Times either)

Yet its reported just now of a new strain of COVID has been found....(its on another thread too), surely can't be coincedence surely?

'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England

The new strain may be growing faster in some parts of the country, Health Secretary tells MPs.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well thats one way of the media to push put the fear factor into everyone once again...

Yet a new variant of flu, as happens routinely, never makes the lead story on tv or newspapers...

 

[midland1]

The picture of scientist Sarah Gilbert look like she is a real bundle of fun!

 

[adc82140]

Yet a new variant of flu, as happens routinely, never makes the lead story on tv or newspapers...

Nor in other years do the queues of ambulances outside A&Es or the NHS capacity creaking at the seams with routine surgery cancelled that you get every single year. There is always a December problem for the NHS. But it's normally relegated to page 7.

 

[Richard Scott]

Call me cynical once more... but isn't this possibly a move a goalpost moment? (spotted this on my news app on iphone last night)... i'll even drop a hint a "third wave" .... scare/fearmongering at its best!

Normal by summer if UK avoids third coronavirus wave, says vaccine scientist

UK back to normal by summer if post-Christmas third wave of Covid avoided, vaccine scientist Sarah Gilbert says

www.thetimes.co.uk

What a pity, did have a lot of time for her as she was obviously very intelligent and knew what it was about when coming to developing a vaccine. Then she ruins it all by saying this, perhaps a government back hander was behind it? Or is that just too cynical of me?
Would have also thought she'd have realised we haven't had a second wave yet, it's still the first one carrying on.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

The picture of scientist Sarah Gilbert look like she is a real bundle of fun!

Ha! I’m not the only one who had that thought...!

 

[kez19]

What a pity, did have a lot of time for her as she was obviously very intelligent and knew what it was about when coming to developing a vaccine. Then she ruins it all by saying this, perhaps a government back hander was behind it? Or is that just too cynical of me?
Would have also thought she'd have realised we haven't had a second wave yet, it's still the first one carrying on.

Why do people like her and media come away with ie "wave" (politicians too), I could understand had she or anyone else said a spike ie third spike but i'm guessing using wave is to scare the public witless? If you to say spike the public will just ignore but wave is to cause damage not just to the economy/jobs but also to cause further damage to peoples health and well being? They'll get their own comuppence in all this.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Dec 2020 ==

Yet a new variant of flu, as happens routinely, never makes the lead story on tv or newspapers...

But because this is COVID year... it does...

Is COVID a marketing gimmick for the media to roll with?, since they have nothing proper to cover with other than COVID?

 

[Bertie the bus]

The picture of scientist Sarah Gilbert look like she is a real bundle of fun!

Not allowed to smile. Don't you know we're in the middle of a pandemic?

 

[kristiang85]

The photo does have a look of the Daily Mail style sad face article "Mrs Taylor of Bexhill on Sea found a dead mouse in her Aldi salad".

 

[DustyBin]

I've spent the day catching up on some fairly mind-numbing admin so I've had the news channels on in the background. They've all had experts on, variously calling for the following:

1. Christmas relaxations to be cancelled (I wouldn't be suprised if this now happens actually);
2. Another full lockdown (citing those introduced on mainland Europe);
3. Introduction of a higher/stricter tier (citing rising infection rates in tier 3 areas);
4. No moving areas into lower tiers (as infection rates will rise).

They keep rattling on about mutant/super covid as well, for good measure. Project fear appears to be in full swing, something not very good must be coming!

 

[Richard Scott]

I've spent the day catching up on some fairly mind-numbing admin so I've had the news channels on in the background. They've all had experts on, variously calling for the following:

1. Christmas relaxations to be cancelled (I wouldn't be suprised if this now happens actually);
2. Another full lockdown (citing those introduced on mainland Europe);
3. Introduction of a higher/stricter tier (citing rising infection rates in tier 3 areas);
4. No moving areas into lower tiers (as infection rates will rise).

They keep rattling on about mutant/super covid as well, for good measure. Project fear appears to be in full swing, something not very good must be coming!

I wish they would just all **** off, it's really getting on my nerves now and doing my mental well-being no good at all. I'm sure many others are in same boat. What is their agenda? To completely destroy the country, its economy and leave its citizens with mental health issues? You sure this isn't 1960s East Germany? I'm beginning to understand why people risked their lives to escape.

 

[DustyBin]

I wish they would just all **** off, it's really getting on my nerves now and doing my mental well-being no good at all. I'm sure many others are in same boat. What is their agenda? To completely destroy the country, its economy and leave its citizens with mental health issues? You sure this isn't 1950s East Germany?

Tell me about it, I'm pretty resilient but I do feel like I'm being gradually ground down. Maybe that is actually the intention, to what end though I've no idea. I don't believe a word the government says and I really wouldn't be suprised if there is a hidden agenda here. I'm more comfortable with the idea that they're simply incompetent beyond belief, but they can't really be, not to this extent surely?

 

[HSTEd]

Tell me about it, I'm pretty resilient but I do feel like I'm being gradually ground down. Maybe that is actually the intention, to what end though I've no idea. I don't believe a word the government says and I really wouldn't be suprised if there is a hidden agenda here. I'm more comfortable with the idea that they're simply incompetent beyond belief, but they can't really be, not to this extent surely?

There strategy does not look very incompetent given the demographics of the electorate. Sacrifice the young and poor and protect the old and rich at any cost.

 

[Richard Scott]

Calibrating a strategy to kill as many poor and young people as possible and protect any many old and rich people as possible doesn't sound particularly incompetent given the demographic characteristics of the electorate.

The problem is other countries seem to have similar policies and not one of them wants to be the first to get off the bus.

 

[Bantamzen]

In and amongst quite a few stories about people losing jobs & the hospitality industry accounting for a third of all job losses this year, for some reason the BBC have found this story.

I can't explain why they felt the need to bring this up, but apparently for a couple of people adopting children lockdown helped. Not sure that more than three quarters of a million people would agree like...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-55313964

All day on BBC Radio 5 live, people have been sharing their stories about Covid.

Two mums told presenter Nicky Campbell about their experiences of adopting during the pandemic.

Molly* took her new son home in the summer and said the lockdown had actually helped him to feel secure.

"They tell you when you first bring your little one home that it's good to have that little bubble," she said.

"Our little man settled so well because he was just literally with myself, my husband and my daughter.

"Life has just been bliss ever since," she added.

Lorraine* adopted her son last year and, two weeks ago, adopted his younger brother.

She has also found the lockdown positive as it has meant her partner has been working from home and can spend more time with the children.

"He's there for everything. He's there for our older child's bath-time, dinner-time, he comes out of his office at lunchtime for a cuddle, for a play. And all of those things he would have missed," she said.

“It's made us so happy," she added.

*Names have been changed.

 

[DB]

The problem is other countries seem to have similar policies and not one of them wants to be the first to get off the bus.

What's happening in China now? The eternal lockdowns are basically modelled on their response at the beginning of the year.

 

[DustyBin]

In and amongst quite a few stories about people losing jobs & the hospitality industry accounting for a third of all job losses this year, for some reason the BBC have found this story.

I can't explain why they felt the need to bring this up, but apparently for a couple of people adopting children lockdown helped. Not sure that more than three quarters of a million people would agree like...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-55313964

Are they for real? Meanwhile, the latest YouGov poll has found that 57% of people don't want any relaxation of the rules over Christmas. What a suprise!

 

[Bantamzen]

Are they for real? Meanwhile, the latest YouGov poll has found that 57% of people don't want any relaxation of the rules over Christmas. What a suprise!

I am literally done with all this. I have no idea what idiots still think we need more in the way of restrictions, bit its time to lock them indoors and cut their Internet connections....

 

[NorthOxonian]

Are they for real? Meanwhile, the latest YouGov poll has found that 57% of people don't want any relaxation of the rules over Christmas. What a suprise!

They also think 65% want mandatory masks outside. There's few things in the world I'd trust less than YouGov polls.

 

[Richard Scott]

They also think 65% want mandatory masks outside. There's few things in the world I'd trust less than YouGov polls.

Apart from our politicians?