What on earth is going on?????

[Queeneee]

So far today, I’ve seen a headline stating that coronavirus could be wiped out of London in weeks. I’ve seen a headline saying the rate of infection is higher than they thought and has risen in the last week. I’ve seen a video of Matt Hancock saying the ‘R’ is unlikely to go above 1. I’ve also seen an article on Sky News saying that the government are now saying the ‘R’ isn’t actually that important (after previously stressing how vital it was for it to stay below 1).

My question is, does anyone actually know what’s going on at the moment? I can’t make any sense of the information we are being fed by the government and the media. I have tried to be positive about the government, even although I didn’t vote Tory and am not a big Boris fan. I tried to put all that aside and just support our government in trying to work a way through this. I actually initially convinced myself they were doing their best, but I’m just really getting down about all of the misinformation.

In all honesty, I’m having a bad day today so this could be why this has frustrated me so much. I just can’t understand how we are all going to navigate our way through this when there are so many mixed messages. That light at the end of the tunnel is just starting to feel further and further away

That’s the story I’m talking about as I keep saying

From what I understand the R rate is high because it is skewered by people still getting the virus in Care Homes. This makes the R rate higher than it would be.
Otherwise, in London, the rate of infection has lowered.
This actually shows you the problem with using an R Rate. It varies. London is now low, but elsewhere in the country it is high. In otherwords, the epicentre in the UK, has moved outwards from London elsewhere.

I believe the media and government are as bad as each other

“This is unprecedented
a novel situation
we are naive to it
we are in uncharted waters
Even the experts can only guess”

Well yes. But it’s clear the U.K. government are making a meal of it when it comes to creating a clear plan and explaining it. Given the prime minister is addressing the nation directly on a semi-regular basis, it should be possible for him to lay out a coherent programme and then stick to it.

If the government were handling it with quiet competence, it would be much harder for the press to mess it up.

Watching from outside the U.K., I’ve found myself wondering if the mess being made in the press is partly driven by the government. There seem to be massive delays filled with hints and leaks about what’s coming next. Have to wonder what else is being deliberately kept out of the papers, but I guess that makes me a cynic.

Yesterday’s opinion piece prompted today’s front cover. Obviously

@squishysquirmy

I’m not sure what your point is.

Matt Hancock didn’t put The Telegraph behind a paywall. The Barclay Twins did, but that’s by the by.

In any case, even if he wrote the copy he would not have written the headline.

I love the idea that “the government” is controlling MSM. You’d think if that were the case they would ensure some more flattering articles found their way front and centre.

"The government is not writing the headlines. The inaccurate, twisted, inflammatory, terrifying headlines that get clicks and page views and make the bucks."

Honestly @Sadie789, your constant defense of the government on mn is just getting boring. You are all over these types of threads deflecting any blame whatsoever off the government.

There are many links betweens members of the government and the owners of our various media outlets so it would be naive to think favours aren't handed out, in both directions.

The government changes its message and spins things persistently so as to try to avoid bad news. When the R number was going down, it was a key factor, the most important thing to consider. As soon as it starts to go up, apparently it's not so important any more.

Is there data to confirm the rise in the R number is related to care homes? Also, does that make it any less worrying, or is it ok so long as it's only more old people that are getting infected? Is it really ok that infections in care homes continue to rise when we've all known for weeks that the situation there is dire and action needed to be taken?

@excitedmumtobe87 you’re missing the point completely.

One vanity puff from the govt’s press office is not driving the direction of the Daily Mail’s coronavirus agenda.

What you’re saying is that because Matt Hancock did one opinion piece, the Daily Mail is pushing for schools to reopen. A quick scan of their multiple, conflicting stories reveals they are putting out more anti-schools rhetoric than pro.

The Daily Mail in fact isn’t pro or against anything in particular in this crisis. What they are after is clicks and they get that by making jaws drop all over the country with horrifying and misleading headlines that don’t match up with the stories underneath them.

And The Mirror et al aren’t any better.

Possibly because there isn’t really anyone at the helm of these publications any more, a real case of too many cooks.

No wonder people are confused.

Yeah there aren’t any flattering articles at all are there!!! The papers are really holding the government to account

In a parallel universe

Anyone who thinks the rare true story about the governments incompetence outweighs the thousands of flattering articles is mad or biased

@ssd gosh, I should probably be flattered that you’re so aware of my posts in amongst the many hundreds of others on MN. Or creeped out maybe?

Again you’re choosing to interpret what I’m saying in a way that suits your own arguments. I’m not defending the government, I’m talking about the irresponsible and out of control media.

I’m actually barely interested in the government as to me this is not an issue of politics. It’s a worldwide pandemic and every government of every persuasion is having to deal with it and most are following broadly the same template, whether left, centre or right.

People are confused as the government, the PM actually, is constantly sending out mixed messages. See Johnsons Sunday evening speech. Even Laura Kuenssberg was confused.
So stop trying to say it's the media confusing people. They don't need to, the government are doing a good job if that themselves.

most are following broadly the same template, whether left, centre or right.

There are huge discrepancies in how different governments are dealing with this, although it's not necessarily reflective of the left-right spectrum. The UK government has kindly provided the rest of the world with the template on how not to deal with it, with some help from our ally across the pond of course.

Well if EVEN Laura Kuenssberg was confused what hope do the rest of us have?

And she’s the cleverest of them all.

Of course you're interested in politics. You wouldn't be so defensive of the government if you weren't.

I’m really not defensive of the government. I’d love an example of where I have directly defended an action of the government. You should be able to find one easily seeing as you know all my posts off by heart.

The/our media is quite shit, I think. But by that I mean - they don't write stuff very well and they're lazy with their investigations.

I am sure though that none of us should be blaming the media for our confusion surrounding Covid.

It's Government's role to make sure we're all informed. Well, are we informed? No we're not. We're confused. Because our GOVERNMENT is not doing it's job properly.

And for those of you choosing to blame the Media - you are being brainwashed. This is just what the likes of Cummings wants.

Sadie I think she said Williamson not Hancock.

You’re interpreting what other people say as you please - and incorrectly.

I think it’s fair to say that Williamson’s interview and the same stance used the next day had more than a teeny tiny link

The government’s message is intentionally confused. That’s true.

Use your common sense and do what you think is ok to do so we don’t get the blame.

Then spend all week talking about schools, transport and our new confused policy instead of how many people we killed.

Classic Cummings.

'The Media' is such a lazy, easy target. Who the are 'The Media'? Ridiculous to roll them all into one entity to deflect blame onto.

The Govt are in charge of the response to the virus and it is up to them to put out clear messages to inform the public. They have massively failed to do that, right from the start, and actually seem to be getting worse.

Your many posts deflecting away from the government is tiresome.
This thread alone is enough, you saying that it's the media confusing the people, when anyone with half a brain knows full well the government are sending out mixed messages and certainly have an influence on media output.

@mumoftwo0357

Hancock, see below.

”the government don't write the headlines"
... Except when they do!
Like in March when Hancock helpfully directed the public to much needed information on Coronavirus... With a link to an article he had written in the Telegraph behind a paywall

@ssd so you can’t find an example of me directly defending the government.

Because I haven’t.

Target me all you like but the bottom line is we simply have differing views, which believe it or not is allowed in a free country (or what remains of it).

Your obsession with me is unnerving. Please stop.

Don't flatter yourself. I've gave you an example right here.

@ssd bonkers.