Do you think reporting is being restricted?

[jellybeanteaparty]

I have noticed that the news and reporting is quite different from lots of news stories. No footage of outside hospital's, no interviews with relatives or people with the virus or the medics. Initially there was some but now they only seem to show scenes in other countries. Is this by agreement with all news agencies? It feels odd compared to the usual circus! Not sure I mind just curious if others have noticed.

I hadn't noticed Op, but now you've pointed it out, it does seem odd.

I hadn't noticed and I've been looking at BBC, CNN, Reuters, Al Jazeera, to get different perspectives.
Maybe because the circus here hasn't begun?

I definitely think it is , a BBC news headline changed very quickly from " are they over egging the death rate" to a far more innocuous less critical headline within minutes for the same article. The death rate has been being reported daily and is no longer and earlier an alert popped up on my phone for the 18 year old dying then didn't appear on the app.

To be fair I can understand it, they have to wall a fine line so as to to terrify everyone and cause wider issues through panic. It can be hard to manage peoples reactions so it doesnt make things worse so they will definitely be managing the media message

So as not to terrify everyone obviously !!

Sorry - but our family has been isolated/locked up for 10 days and I feel like I'm going mad.

Are we being fed bullshit? Is this all a lie? We're all handing our freedom over here - willingly. Because we've been scared. But as you say none of the reporting is real. I think we're being played.

What do you mean @NellyGrace ? I’ve had similar feelings but can’t articulate them.

I think it's an extremely ill thought out policy trying not to panic people by downplaying to a dangerous extent. Too many lives have been put at risk by people not taking it seriously enough. People shouldn't panic but calm honest transparency about how serious it is - whilst also calmly explaining how people can help mitigate things - would have been much better. I wonder why the media comply with any possible requests to downplay? Is it an order rather than a request?

As in a conspiracy?

It starts with Cummings and Boris. Brexit and the election seems so far away now. But there was a lot of talk about authoritarianism wasn't there? Taking away our freedom ... And I had such a fear when Boris got in that we would slowly lose our democratic system.

This is clearly a worldwide thing. Not something that Boris and co could have created. But I still think we're on very dodgy ground. Firstly I am sure that Cummings/Boris would take full advantage of using this as an opportunity to take greater control of the masses.

But I'm also dubious about how real this virus really is. And wonder on a global level whether it has been created (either physically/actually - or creatively/fictionally) so that governments all over the world can control us.

Why are we not hearing any real news about this?

Are we being fed bullshit? Is this all a lie? We're all handing our freedom over here - willingly.

Then the medics and healthcare system is being played also. HCPs are scared.
It's being downplayed, if anything.

I think they might be trying to avoid causing panic. I don't believe the virus is made up because we've all had symptoms and my 15 year old son was the worst affected and I was frightened. I still can't get my chest right.

There probably will be some kind of restrictions but that doesn't necessarily mean its a bad thing.

Yes. A patient was recently in our local hospital for 5 days being treated for CV. Still anywhere that was keeping numbers of confirmed cases within the areas never noted this.
Their family contacted a paper, it was in the paper, that afternoon pur hospital released information of their first patient.
The patient was just about to be discharged at the time.
Said patient had to post on the local Facebook page to make people aware.

Hospital has another 4 confirmed cases. This wasn't made public until it was all over the local Facebook pages. Still online, 0 cases in our town. All 5 lived in thos town.

So no I do not believe the numbers, I also think this is why many are not being tested.

takes tinfoil hat off

Ok - as I said - I'm going mad. We've been isolating, in order to protect my disabled daughter, for 10 days and I can't think straight anymore. Everything feels surreal. It did before, but isolating makes that feeling even worse.

It's an odd mix of slight on detail and then some horrific articles from anonymous 'people' on the frontline. I must admit I read one such article and thought it had been written by a press team. It just didn't read like it had been written by a medical professional.
There will be a degree of the government setting the media agenda. Both restricting certain details and placing articles about messaging they want to push.
This is an unprecedented pandemic. They're working everything out as they go along including the media.

Is it right that the government controls and feeds stuff to the media though?

That’s really interesting @NellyGrace
And don’t worry, I’m going mad as well from all this. Also self isolating. You’re doing the right thing and will get through all this

Perhaps the details are worse and the patients are younger than we're led to believe.

Thank you x

I think it’s being massively down played. “Masks don’t work” means “We’ve got no masks”. “Lockdown isn’t needed yet” means “We don’t have the resources to deal with it”. “Don’t panic buy, there’s plenty for all” means “We’re not yet up and running with the Army delivering food parcels”.

They don’t want the masses to panic/riot/loot. They’ve depleted the police force/army too much.

Nelly It's extremely hard being cooped up in a small flat with no outside space. I've had to do it in the past and felt like I was going mad. Do you have small or high up windows? We do, and I know that makes things even harder. It's easier I think if you have large floor to ceiling windows. I did get through it. I got used to it. I know we're all different but I really hope you manage to control the panic. I get panicky thinking about being trapped again in this small space too but it's survivable I promise. I found baking bread very therapeutic. It relaxed me. Maybe something like that would help? Baking cakes with your DC?.I also did things like jigsaws, sung and danced to music, board games. Contact with the outside world is still possible. Thank goodness for the internet. It helped so much. Video call friends and family, look up online courses (loads of free ones).

I'm sorry if none of that helps. I still wanted to be outside desperately when I was stuck in so I do know how you feel. I hate being in a cramped flat.

The reporters and camera crews are all risking their lives by reporting and continuning to go to work. They need to maintain a 2 m distance from people so aren't going to have in person footage or outside broadcasts unless it is really crucial, adds to the existing coverage with new information and can't otherwise be done by skype etc.

It's pretty obvious why interviews with members of the public will be more restricted.

@TheLadyAnneNeville exactly.

Yes, lots of things are happening in hopsitals such as nurses admitted to intensive care, vet nurses being drafted.l, and the general struggles and policies being drawn up that would horrify people

I hear lots about the inside of italys hospitals but not much about our own which cant be a coincidence

Almost 800 people died in less than 24 hours in Italy on Saturday. People really think that's some sort of mad up bullshit?

If anything it's being downplayed over here to stop panic. People are already panic buying.