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.

Questions need to be asked as it goes along and unfolds. Some are politically motivated and negative and these piss me off, but most are looking for genuine answers.

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

This. Let’s learn some critical thinking skills.

Yes wish they would accept sent in questions actually from the public as journalist ask same stupid ones at time's day after day

I'd like someone to ask why it's taking Public Health England more than three weeks to respond to a factory that's able to produce 150, 000 Covid tests per day.
I'd also like someone to ask Public Health England why they cannot agree between themselves what is the correct procedure to authorise the tests.
I'd also like to ask why there is so much bureaucracy in Public Health England and as a secondary question does PHE even realise that there is a current pandemic.
Print journalists are asking questions. TV journalists are just glorified presenters.
Op you are most definitely not unreasonable.

They piss me off when they ask 2,3 loookng questions in a row. How can anyone give a good answer when they do that?

I'd really like members of the public who can represent a view (like a pp said teacher, nurse, carer, parent) to do the questions.

If there were no press, the briefing would just be the government going out and delivering whatever message they like, Kim Jong-Un style.

I agree with PP who said the current government have already been toying with press freedom by trying to ban certain publications from having access to press briefings, which is probably why the journalists don't ask more searching questions. That's worrying enough but no press at all would be far more concerning.

Social media can be a useful tool for getting issues into the public eye which the journalists may then feel more able to press the government on, like the issue of PPE.

The Select Committees have started up again and they are another form of scrutiny. They can also call civil servants and relevant professional bodies.

They're not asking awkward questions though!

The guy from Left Foot Forward asked some pointed questions today, about the poor pay and status of frontline healthcare workers prior to the coronavirus crisis. They were well worded. The fact that Alok Sharma didn’t really answer them says more about Alok Sharma than the journalist. (hoping I’ve got the politician’s name correct).

There absolutely should be journalists - this government needs holding to account, especially as parliament isn’t sitting at the moment so there is no opposition with which to discuss and debate. I just wish they were better journalists.

I suspect the quality might go up if the 'briefings' were Mon - Wed - Fri. Statistical bulletins could be issued on other days and we wouldn't get so much repetition. Also the truly hopeless ministers could be kept off the rota.

Let's just accept everything the govt. says without question?? Do you want a democracy or not??

Well Pritti Patel has appeared once so the utterly hopeless one has mostly been kept away! She’s the Home Secretary so she should have a huge role to play. But she’s been questioned once! She would probably fly into a temper and blame her staff so she’s been kept in the back office so to speak.

There is the assumption that we can only manage to understand three word instructions and discussion on other topics has been limited. The government have lied about equipment distribution, tests available and lots of other things. Look back over the last 3 weeks at the upbeat promises and compare to where we are now. There needs to be more scrutiny and holding to account. We seem to get promises but far less action - so on that basis it’s politics as usual.

I do think it’s been an interesting development that many people are prepared to accept every word of what the government says, spy on their neighbours and accept the police interpreting the law in a variety of unreasonable ways. People have not been overly concerned about shopping being scrutinised regarding whether the items are essential or not. They are quite prepared to accept extremes imposed on exercise and have accepted huge areas of open spaces being closed because we cannot be trusted to social distance in hundreds of acres of land.

If people accept all of this, do not question the state, the agents of the state and, even worse, take matters into their own hands, we are on a slippery slope. One which this government will exploit. Proroguing parliament might just be the start. Why didn’t we have MPs questioning the PM or Raab? We have the technology. Why is parliament closed at this time? The public will still contact MPs but they cannot question anyone. It is not good enough.

Journalism as it is at the moment is irritating. They aren't interested in reporting the news they want to do fortune telling. They are obsessed with what will happen next not discussing what is happening at the moment. Our politicians are working out an exit strategy but Id rather they took time and saw what was working in other countries who have just started this than publish something in a rush just to keep journalists happy. Report today's news stop trying to predict tomorrows.

No don't be ridiculous. It is important politicians are held to account, if they knew they wouldn't be challenged who knows what they'd choose to tell us, the fact they know they have journalists listening and ready probe means they have to be honest and realistic, it keeps them on their toes. If they're getting stupid questions it's a good sign they're covering what people need to hear.

The formula 1 ventilators are being used. Some people just like spreading negative news. Only certain areas are running short of PPE. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/formula1/52274270 My area of Scotland has enough at the moment and if the downward trend here continues we will have boxes to give back.

YABU to think they shouldn't be there. It's important to hold the government to account.

But YANBU to think they should listen to the answers to previous questions before asking their own.

I'd also like them to ask one question, have it answered and then ask their second question. Two unrelated questions that have already been partially, or fully covered leads to a confusing mess.

I think it’s fair to say that we need journalists asking better questions; although I take no issue with the one in your OP for reasons clearly articulated upthread.

But what frightens me more about the whole crisis is the fact that the government and their appalling handling of it is barely being held to account as it is. Of course we need people asking questions. And it’s literally the journalists’ job to do that. I’m mystified that anybody doesn’t understand the need for a press presence at a press briefing.

Journalism as it is at the moment is irritating. They aren't interested in reporting the news they want to do fortune telling. They are obsessed with what will happen next not discussing what is happening at the moment. Our politicians are working out an exit strategy but Id rather they took time and saw what was working in other countries who have just started this than publish something in a rush just to keep journalists happy. Report today's news stop trying to predict tomorrows.

Journalism has always been irritating - for politicians. They don't want anyone asking any questions that might show them up or reveal that they are talking nonsense.

Journalists are asking about what is happening at the moment - see my post above. On behalf of the population that are questioning where the PPE is, where the ventilators are, why the care home deaths are not being counted and so on.

It is the politicians who are constantly engaging in predicting what is going to happen - usually in an attempt to deflect attention from what is happening today. PPE is planned to arrive 'tomorrow.' We aim to be able to do 100,000 tests 'by the end of the month' and so on. No wonder the journalists are asking for concrete plans rather than fantasy wish-lists.

Our politicians are working out an exit strategy - I see no evidence of this, and nor do the journalists, which is why they keep asking the question. This Government has adopted a tactic of making big announcements every day - 5 Pillars, Five-point Tests blah blah blah - just to survive until the next crisis arrives.

Of course the government haven’t been honest! They are crystal ball gazing all the time. So of course journalists ask the business questions about saving us all financially.

How many tests are going to be done? By when? 3 weeks ago there were lots of promises. Big crystal balls on display then. What about care home deaths? Has that been honestly discussed? Or what about promises on PPE? Yes, ok in parts but care workers not in nhs effectively excluded. They have not been truthful about procurement or logistics. Or even any reasonable discussion of the difficulties. Dyson not getting approval for their ventilators for example. Big announcement that Dyson would save the day but they didn’t design a suitable ventilator for weeks. F1 has and Dyson will get theirs up and running but to accept what we are told without question is a slippery slope.

The formula 1 ventilators are being used ^www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/formula1/52274270^

The original Formula One ventilators were rejected - they were too simple to do the job, as the article states. The new devices are designed to assist breathing and administering oxygen - they are not full-blown ventilators - but you are correct, Formula One teams are now also manufacturing ventilators to a new design.

Only certain areas are running short of PPE

In the sixth-largest economy in the world, why is there a shortage at all? Why have the UK manufacturers who have offered to make PPE not been contacted? Some areas have no PPE at all - care homes, dentists, physios etc.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/some-hospitals-will-run-out-of-fully-protective-gowns-within-24-hours/ar-BB12NEr9?ocid=spartanntp

Because the size of the economy has nothing to do with the supply of raw materials and manufacturing output of PPE equipment! Good heavens. The whole world wants this stuff. The size of the economy is utterly meaningless. Of course we could be very worried about other countries in Africa that have 3 ventilators in the country! We don’t appear to be. Perhaps our huge economy could look after others less fortunate but of course we don’t.

We have extremely small clothing manufacturing companies here. Burberry get clothes made all over the world but have made their trench coats here. Few clothing brands have factories here due to high wage costs compared to China or India. Burberry is an exception and certainly cannot produce garments out of thin air. They need the appropriate material. There is a world shortage.

On reflection, I think what I actually meant was, the journalists currently are not adding anything. So if that’s how they plan to continue- why bother.

This has been a really enlightening and interesting thread, thank you. I have had the same conversation with friends and peers. The media are perhaps looking to have short 60 second clips to show internet wide to prove, in isolation, they are asking “difficult” questions. I just personally think the majority of questions they are asking are a waste. I would like questions to Be much more grilling.

The original question which irritated me was about being in lock down for 18 months. I stand by that being a stupid question. A) Even if it were true it would cause carnage for the government to announce it this early. B) do they honestly think the response will be “shit, we did the whole presentation and I forgot to say. Yep, you are all inside until August 2021”