AN
Seems to be some real bad feeling towards certain journalists right now. Ironically they seem to be going down the Piers Morgan route of wanting simple answers to complex questions at the time that Piers himself seems to be moving away from that. I think on the whole the public accept that Boris is incapacitated and Raab is temporarily in charge, but I don’t think some of the questioners would have been satisfied yesterday with anything other than Raab coming out and declaring that this is now a dictatorship.
Piers and Susanna are having a great crisis on the other hand. An absolute masterclass this morning in challenging the right people (Khan on PPE) whilst compassionately talking to real people and letting them tell their story. They’ve really found their groove and I’d recommend anyone who normally talks about their dislike for Piers should tune in and see what he’s really like when he’s not playing for retweets and trying to generate controversy.
Piers and Susanna are having a great crisis on the other hand. An absolute masterclass this morning in challenging the right people (Khan on PPE) whilst compassionately talking to real people and letting them tell their story. They’ve really found their groove and I’d recommend anyone who normally talks about their dislike for Piers should tune in and see what he’s really like when he’s not playing for retweets and trying to generate controversy.
BR
Or Ronald McIntosh commentating on his first match at Wimbledon.
BBC News and the media seem to be stuck on a loop this morning in how they're covering this and although it is of course important they need to remember ultimately this is a story about the people rather than the PM and the politics. Broadcast news has done an excellent job over the last few weeks but they need to be careful not to fall back into that Westminster bubble in how they are reporting the PM's condition and possible political implications.
I can't imagine how hard that must be so it's kudos to Lloyd and I'm sure it's been noted by the bosses. It reminds me of Roger Finn having to break the news of the Challenger disaster on only his third ever episode of Newsround.
Or Ronald McIntosh commentating on his first match at Wimbledon.
BBC News and the media seem to be stuck on a loop this morning in how they're covering this and although it is of course important they need to remember ultimately this is a story about the people rather than the PM and the politics. Broadcast news has done an excellent job over the last few weeks but they need to be careful not to fall back into that Westminster bubble in how they are reporting the PM's condition and possible political implications.
JO
I totally get what you're saying, but I think the day that we start accepting precisely what the government says and don't question it is a terrible day. I would say that regardless of the politics of the government of the day. I don't think we can change those principles just because times are hard – in fact the situation is all the more reason to question and hold people to account.
The point I tried to make above is that from the outset of the PM going into ICU, Raab declared in the very first interview that “the PM has asked me to deputize for him as necessary”. (Words to that effect). So, we take it from that (and as repeated again yesterday by Raab, Gove, May, Fox et al) Raab is in charge.
Why labour the point even further? Thousands of people are dying and we need medical facts to be shared in the briefings.
Why labour the point even further? Thousands of people are dying and we need medical facts to be shared in the briefings.
I totally get what you're saying, but I think the day that we start accepting precisely what the government says and don't question it is a terrible day. I would say that regardless of the politics of the government of the day. I don't think we can change those principles just because times are hard – in fact the situation is all the more reason to question and hold people to account.
BF
It does feel like many of the political journalists have got the tone wrong and are out of touch with the public on this one.
Of course they should be holding the government to account but at the moment too many of the questions seem either Westminster bubble naval gazing or looking for some gotcha moment or are frankly quite dim questions. So many of the questions yesterday were spent on whether Raab has the final say (when that was already clear and he was hardly going to go ‘I am now your ruler) rather than on getting more detail on the coronavirus response. I’d love nothing more than some really good questions being asked but it’s not happening here
Similarly there are far too many ‘when will the lockdown be over/have we passed the peak’ type questions when most of the public realise this is hardly going to go away overnight.
Again I can’t help feeling the broadcasters should be using their health editors/correspondents more in these briefings rather than political editors. On CNN for example it’s Dr Sanjay Gupta who’s on around the clock rather than say Adam Boulton here
Surprisingly actually political parties of all stripes have come across pretty well so far I think and there’s been an absence of the usual mud-slinging and a quite mature response.
Of course they should be holding the government to account but at the moment too many of the questions seem either Westminster bubble naval gazing or looking for some gotcha moment or are frankly quite dim questions. So many of the questions yesterday were spent on whether Raab has the final say (when that was already clear and he was hardly going to go ‘I am now your ruler) rather than on getting more detail on the coronavirus response. I’d love nothing more than some really good questions being asked but it’s not happening here
Similarly there are far too many ‘when will the lockdown be over/have we passed the peak’ type questions when most of the public realise this is hardly going to go away overnight.
Again I can’t help feeling the broadcasters should be using their health editors/correspondents more in these briefings rather than political editors. On CNN for example it’s Dr Sanjay Gupta who’s on around the clock rather than say Adam Boulton here
Surprisingly actually political parties of all stripes have come across pretty well so far I think and there’s been an absence of the usual mud-slinging and a quite mature response.
MA
Yes, I agree. I switched on this morning to see what they were both up to, and ended up watching for 90 mins, not bothering at all with BBC Breakfast
Seems to be some real bad feeling towards certain journalists right now. Ironically they seem to be going down the Piers Morgan route of wanting simple answers to complex questions at the time that Piers himself seems to be moving away from that. I think on the whole the public accept that Boris is incapacitated and Raab is temporarily in charge, but I don’t think some of the questioners would have been satisfied yesterday with anything other than Raab coming out and declaring that this is now a dictatorship.
Piers and Susanna are having a great crisis on the other hand. An absolute masterclass this morning in challenging the right people (Khan on PPE) whilst compassionately talking to real people and letting them tell their story. They’ve really found their groove and I’d recommend anyone who normally talks about their dislike for Piers should tune in and see what he’s really like when he’s not playing for retweets and trying to generate controversy.
Piers and Susanna are having a great crisis on the other hand. An absolute masterclass this morning in challenging the right people (Khan on PPE) whilst compassionately talking to real people and letting them tell their story. They’ve really found their groove and I’d recommend anyone who normally talks about their dislike for Piers should tune in and see what he’s really like when he’s not playing for retweets and trying to generate controversy.
Yes, I agree. I switched on this morning to see what they were both up to, and ended up watching for 90 mins, not bothering at all with BBC Breakfast
NL
I agree about the fantastic way that the media have handled the outbreak. Sadly I fear that the "bubble" hasn't burst and when the situation returns to normal (or whatever will be classed as normal) they will revert to their old ways.
What I would like to happen is for the media in this country to follow the people in realising that underneath the titles and grandness we are all human and have all been affected by covid-19.
The BBC are in their "one-ness" stage. I'm hoping that that will be adapted into "one-country" in the way they cover stories in the way that Victoria Derbyshire has done.
What I would like to happen is for the media in this country to follow the people in realising that underneath the titles and grandness we are all human and have all been affected by covid-19.
The BBC are in their "one-ness" stage. I'm hoping that that will be adapted into "one-country" in the way they cover stories in the way that Victoria Derbyshire has done.
IS
I can't imagine how hard that must be so it's kudos to Lloyd and I'm sure it's been noted by the bosses. It reminds me of Roger Finn having to break the news of the Challenger disaster on only his third ever episode of Newsround.
Simon Mayo wasn't long into his time on 5 Live when 9/11 happened during his programme.
That's not something I've heard about before, I wonder if it was recorded and kept by the BBC?
I can't imagine how hard that must be so it's kudos to Lloyd and I'm sure it's been noted by the bosses. It reminds me of Roger Finn having to break the news of the Challenger disaster on only his third ever episode of Newsround.
Simon Mayo wasn't long into his time on 5 Live when 9/11 happened during his programme.
I remember listening to Steve Wright who for me was first with the Challenger disaster.
He had a live feed of it on a monitor in Radio 1, and was describing the launch, all the way until it became obvious something had gone very wrong indeed.
He had a live feed of it on a monitor in Radio 1, and was describing the launch, all the way until it became obvious something had gone very wrong indeed.
That's not something I've heard about before, I wonder if it was recorded and kept by the BBC?
OM
The one refreshing thing about the BBC's coverage is that it is focused on reporting and not walking on egg shells trying to maintain "balance".
The crisis really does show the value of having both specialist and international correspondents.
Whilst I doubt it will happen, it would be good if broadcasters permanently dropped the "Let's have a heated debate with two partisan pundits" interview format which yields nothing but hot air.
It's also noteworthy how so many pundits and contributors from partisan think tanks who have had so much exposure over the past few years having nothing of value to contribute at this time.
The crisis really does show the value of having both specialist and international correspondents.
Whilst I doubt it will happen, it would be good if broadcasters permanently dropped the "Let's have a heated debate with two partisan pundits" interview format which yields nothing but hot air.
It's also noteworthy how so many pundits and contributors from partisan think tanks who have had so much exposure over the past few years having nothing of value to contribute at this time.
AN
Its blatantly obvious that lockdown won't end on Monday, and the government will announce the fact in due course, but so many reporters are wanting to trip up one of the spokespersons to let something slip, so they can add meat to those bones, and announce that the lockdown is being extended and cause panic. They did something at the weekend when the female advisor said something about how long this will all last, and the press ran with it like a confirmed annoucement.
Andrew
Founding member
Similarly there are far too many ‘when will the lockdown be over/have we passed the peak’ type questions when most of the public realise this is hardly going to go away overnight.
Its blatantly obvious that lockdown won't end on Monday, and the government will announce the fact in due course, but so many reporters are wanting to trip up one of the spokespersons to let something slip, so they can add meat to those bones, and announce that the lockdown is being extended and cause panic. They did something at the weekend when the female advisor said something about how long this will all last, and the press ran with it like a confirmed annoucement.
DO
Lots of people do think it will end on Monday though, and the reporters are asking the questions that those people are asking.
The reason you keep getting the same questions asked over and over again isn't them trying to trip the government up, it's because the government are utterly useless at giving a straight answer. Most sensible people know there's basically zero chance of the current lock down being over by the start of May, but currently the government's answer as to how long it's going on for is simply that they're continuing to review it. Why not say they're fairly sure it's going to have to go on longer? Why do we have to wait for the arbitrary three week deadline for a review? The exact same thing happened with Boris - a week of "he's fine, just recovering" followed by the announcement he'd gone in for tests. On a Sunday night. We don't need a play-by-play of his doctor's discussions, but we also don't need the blatant lying about his condition. Then lo and behold, he's taken to intensive care, only a short time after Raab let slip he has been in regular contact with Boris, but hadn't spoken to him for over a day. Reporters are quite rightly reapeatedly asking the question about who exactly is in charge of the country, because the answers are not forthcoming and they affect every single one of us in the UK.
The reason you keep getting the same questions asked over and over again isn't them trying to trip the government up, it's because the government are utterly useless at giving a straight answer. Most sensible people know there's basically zero chance of the current lock down being over by the start of May, but currently the government's answer as to how long it's going on for is simply that they're continuing to review it. Why not say they're fairly sure it's going to have to go on longer? Why do we have to wait for the arbitrary three week deadline for a review? The exact same thing happened with Boris - a week of "he's fine, just recovering" followed by the announcement he'd gone in for tests. On a Sunday night. We don't need a play-by-play of his doctor's discussions, but we also don't need the blatant lying about his condition. Then lo and behold, he's taken to intensive care, only a short time after Raab let slip he has been in regular contact with Boris, but hadn't spoken to him for over a day. Reporters are quite rightly reapeatedly asking the question about who exactly is in charge of the country, because the answers are not forthcoming and they affect every single one of us in the UK.