to Wish the journalists were not part of the daily briefing

[9millioncansofbeans]

Am I being unreasonable ?
I feel like, In general, the scientists give a very sound reasonable explanation of any updates and plans and why they won’t announce plans.
And then every day the journalists ask questions which have been covered. And actually today’s really annoyed me, as one journalist said people are worried the reasons you won’t discuss how we will come out of lockdown is because it’s going to go on for 18 months... well I was not worried about that but now I am!!
I wish they We’re not part of the daily briefing.

They ask such stupid questions

I agree. They just keep asking the same questions that have just been answered and basically are just trying to find any reason for an argument. Very irritating !

Do you not want your elected representatives to be held to account?

some of them seem to lack common sense and to think they report the news is worrying in itself.

I don't think you're unreasonable, this is how you feel, and your viewpoint in fairly unprecedented times.

For me, I like the journalists, because I think perhaps they remind the politicians and the experts that there is a mass population out there, dependent on their decisions, who won't necessarily swallow uncritically what they choose to feed us, wholesale. They are answerable, ultimately, to the populace.

Agreed. Some of them are idiots.

Can't we have them every other day, or every third day?

FFS. What an insane thing to say. Journalists literally hold the executive to account. They are crucial to a liberal and free society. The moment you start restricting press freedom is the day you sleepwalk into a totalitarian state.

If they ask stupid questions then they're stupid journalists. But the fact remains - limit the press at your peril.

Mind you, the stuff I've read on mumsnet since this pandemic started makes me realise that a fairly large minority would be quite happy living under the Stasi...

YABU. It's their job to ask awkward questions. I wish more of them did.

You can always turn off before the questions if you don't want to hear politicians being scrutinised.

They keep asking about the exit strategy, despite being told every day that it’s premature to discuss. Basically they’re all desperate to break a big story. My pet peeve is when they Begin questions with “Do you accept....”

YANBU at all.

I said this to my husband last week. The journos stir up fear. Lockdown can’t last for 18 months on the trot. We wouldn’t have an economy after it.

I think we may dip in and out of lockdown periodically until there is a vaccine but not one long period.

The journos are the worst though.

I do wish they wouldn’t ask the same question someone else just has. Pointless

I think questions are to be expected, but really wish they weren’t so numpty. They often ask something the person before them has asked or ask two unconnected questions.

It’s a press briefing FGS, not a government PR opportunity.

I can only assume the journalists think of the questions before the daily briefing (and submit them) and when the question has been covered and fully answered ask it anyway.

Asking questions which have already been answered is not holding politicians to account.

Agree with opticaldelusion. Journalists are necessary to democracy and it's good that the briefings include time for press scrutiny.

There’s a bit of a media vacuum atm which they are desperate to fill. So lots of articles based on but much with ‘ministers said’.

I’m with you the govt have been clear on why they won’t give details yet. Hancock was quite frustrated on R4 this morning which did work a treat.

I also felt relieved that you gov show that majority are ok with what govt propose you don’t get that sense on SM. But it’s vocal minority I guess.

Matt is that you? Or Dominic, perhaps?

What opticaldelusion said. Plus, if no journalists attended how would the briefings be relayed to the rest of us?

The post by opticaldelusion alone would justify a 'like' button on here!

Be careful what you wish for OP.

Some of the questions are ok, many are pointless. But to be expected when media are just want the next stage information.

Asking questions which have been either clumsily or adroitly sidetrotted again, is definitely holding politicians to account.

The journos stir up fear. Lockdown can’t last for 18 months on the trot. We wouldn’t have an economy after it.

Perfectly reasonable to ask this after what Nadine Dorries tweeted last night. TBH it would have been odd and not doing their jobs to ask ‘hey, the health minister says the only way we can exit full lockdown and that’s with a vaccine, does that mean some form of lockdown for potentially 18 months?’

You are absolutely NBU!

Not doing their jobs not to ask, rather...