To think the media have messed up this lockdown?

[Jjcrackers]

Just that really.

Irresponsible headlines such as "lockdown lifted" and setting out 'roadmaps' that not only give people false hope but 'permission' to loosen their lockdown parameters...

Across both broadsheet and tabloid

(Disclaimer: I know government have too but that is a different AIBU)

I think the media reported on what they were briefed by the government and were annoyed at government backtracking.

That said, their reporting was a bit overexcited.

The whole waiting til Sunday for Boris's update doesn't help.

He needs to bring it forward now.

very irresponsible

no, he doesnt need to bring it forward, they need to keep it as is for the bank holiday weekend.
the police will have no control once lock down is eased.

Of course the media are going to speculate.
The problem is that people look at the headlines and mistake speculation for facts.

A lot of the media in the UK seem to help the government spin the facts into what the government say.
On a day when totals broke 30k dead, the media were all about the lockdown ending.

Media did go over the top because it made good headlines. It is damaging as I think the lockdown is slipping away faster and faster.

Yep, sensationalist over doing it about what is or isn’t essential when lockdown started created an army of armchair opinions, meaning small businesses being hounded as non essential (eg see the coffee shop take away thread). Also people questioning on here contents of other people’s shopping baskets. People not wanting to work as ‘it’s not an essential role’.

Now they are creating a media frenzy around lift the lockdown. Again spreading conflicting and inaccurate or misleading information and speculation.

They all annoy the hell out of me.

Where is the good news? Where is the celebration of how amazing the teachers are running hub schools, while also still providing online lessons / materials? Working through holidays? The supermarket staff and carers and bank staff and everyone else who are making this work (often working long irregular hours to catch up after kids go to bed if wfh) while juggling kids and house stuff and so on? The volunteers supporting the communities? So much good stuff, but only a few things are getting ‘media attention’ (seems to be mainly nhs and speculation).

I never understood why Johnson decided to leave it until Sunday to make an announcement. I actually, for once, don't blame the media - we all know where there's a vacuum they will make things up. The government's handling of the whole situation has been a total shambles. This government is not fit to lead. I don't know who the Tory comms team are, but they are not fit for purpose.

Agree with people simply reading the headlines, which are speculative, and taking them as gospel.

The media aren't just concocting a story though - they're being briefed, heavily.

Am not sure there's one element of this pandemic that the government have handled well

1.Comms have been woeful - 'just a virus', Boris reacting with incredulity about the police's potential role just days before lockdown. Mixed messages about his own health. Over egging the lockdown exit roadmap then having to row back wildly.

1. Comms about PPE and ventilators - epitomised by yesterday's back and forth about the Turkish gowns

1. Not having a cohesive care home strategy and effective Comms strategy

1. Comms strategy about the centralised tracing app being the way forward, despite the many concerns raised about efficacy. Now reverse ferreting on those comms

1. Mixed messages on funding for LAs - 'you'll get money" "you won't get all the money, we didn't say that" "okay, fine we did say that so here's some money" "we think we've given you too much money"

1. Disarray in comms about vulnerable, extremely clinical vulnerable and shielded.

Yes, journalists need to do their bit and not report the govt saying it's raining but actually check themselves it's raining. But the comms effort from govt has been abysmal

They need to be stopped from writing headlines that contain the words maybe, may, could, possibly potentially, might.
They need to report on actual news not what they think could happen. Anyone can speculate what could happen.

The government have fucked this up though the media have just helped.

The stats of young healthy people dying are tiny. That's not to say these people don't matter they absolutely do, but the newspapers have run these stories and people are needlessly terrified.

It is no wonder people shouted for businesses to close. They have been lead to believe that going to work means certain death.

It is no wonder furlough has been abused because companies have been demonised for remaining open even when their staff were not at any risk.

The "stay at home" message has worked. People have stayed at home.

The issue now is that a lot of people, because of media involvement, that the staying at home will continue until things are "safe".

What is safe?

When there's a vaccine?

When there aren't many new cases per day?

How can you even quantify safe?

Laura Kunnsburg was very vocal that the "stay at home" message was being dropped, she's obviously been briefed on that.

But all the "happy Monday" headlines were mad- it's not all going back to "normal" on Monday. Ireland's plan lasts to August. Slow steps.

Plus there's obviously disagreement with the devolved nations so there will be four messages which is even harder.

The R is higher outside London but presumably cause it's dropped there the government think it's fixed forgetting there's a huge population outside there.

They are being briefed but the headlines are also ridiculous 'Lockdown lifted on Monday!'

Click on the headline and read yet another story how in fact lockdown may, possibly, just a tiny bit, but maybe not, well we don't really know so we'll make something up, be lifted on Monday 🙄

It doesn't feel.like people are taking the lockdown seriously anymore, loads of people out and about when I took my dog out for a walk yesterday , loads of cars on the road , my neighbour has her window decorated with stay home , protect the NHS etc yet she had friends round drinking in the garden a few days ago and i overheard her inviting someone else for a drink yesterday ,it's been too wishy washy from the start .

loads of people out and about when I took my dog out for a walk yesterday

So you were out... But you're criticizing others for being out?

Yes the media, as ever, are wrong in their sensationalist headlines in attempt to sell papers.
But people also have to take responsibility for themselves and their actions and understanding. Even those who have printed content about changes to lockdown have used terms like "may", "are thinking of", "hope to" etc. People interpret this themselves, usually reading what they want to read. Yes, the media should make things more clear, but the public also need to actually listen to what they're being told.

What doesn’t help is the government treating us like big brother contestants and enabling speculation due to their poor communication, mixed messages and backtracking. I don’t get this idea that if a clear plan is set out people will “take the piss”. Why on earth would you want to be treated with such paternalistic contempt?

I feel like the media have been irresponsible by almost totally ignoring the huge amount of people who have recovered from C19 (even after being hospitalised) and who have had it fairly mildly.

It creates a slight constant panic/feeling amoungst the public that catching C19 means almost certain death. While the death figures are horrible and shocking, it would help to have the message hammered home that the chances are that even if caught, the chances are you will recover from C19,

I don't think the Daily Briefings have helped with this either.

I never understood why Johnson decided to leave it until Sunday to make an announcement

Doing it after the three days in the (lovely and warm) BH makes a lot of sense.

I don't think they need to bring it forward at all, it's a bank holiday weekend. The government handling of this has been shit but the media have been so irresponsible in some of their reporting too.

The government were concerned by the high percentage of the population reporting so called “coronaphobia”. This last week they have been leaking information to the press specifically to get people more comfortable with the idea of lockdown being lifted, so the population which is least likely to be affected by covid 19 gets used to the idea of returning to normal.