BBC fake news causing panic and chaos

[Billie18]

The way the BBC have reported the impact of coronavirus is so misleading and bias it amounts to fake news.

The latest example was the way the BBC fueled peoples anxiety about how the new strain of coronavirus was affecting children. Instead of reporting the most up to date information from a national perspective or even gathering a broad set of opinions they chose to interview one person. A hospital matrons talked of how "scary" the new strain was for nurses and doctors and everyone working on the front line with "whole wards" full of children with coronavirus. She compared it to the situation in March when children were only minimally affected. This one scary opinion was broadcast unchallenged and her role as a Matron gave her opinion "expert" status despite her expertise being limited. This from a trusted and national broadcaster so hardly surprising that this would lead people to believe that their children were now in serious danger.

twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1345006866829463552

In this case this news prompted a response from the President of the Royal College of Child health to point out that "As of now" there was not significant pressure from Covid-19 on paediatrics, no evidence that children were experiencing more severe symptoms and that the overwhelming majority of young people who catch coronavirus have no symptoms or mild symptoms.

twitter.com/bbc5live/status/1345006866829463552

The BBC did later put an article on their website giving voice to those with more expertise and knowledge but this whole weight of knowledge was still balance by this one Matrons opinion with her view given prominence in the article.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55518248

The original fake reports of hospital wards were the ones chosen by the BBC to be broadcast and were seen by the greatest number of people. Even when experts who could give a more truthful picture came forward this was not given prominence and false information continued to be circulated. This at a time when there was pressure to close schools indefinitely in the UK. The BBC fueling fears about children being at risk of serious injuries or death has lead people to believe that schools should be shut to protect children. However children are safe in school the only justification for shutting schools is to protect the elderly and/or vulnerable.

Would there be a push to shut schools indefinitely without the media pushing false information about the risk to children? Has the BBC caused panic that may lead to children being denied education based on false evidence? Would parents sacrifice their children by isolating them rather than push to allow their children to attend school and protect the vulnerable if trusted media outlets reported what we know honestly?

It really doesn't help to mimic Donald Trump using the phrase "fake news". If you want to criticise a BBC story that is of course fine though.

@notevenat20

It really doesn't help to mimic Donald Trump using the phrase "fake news". If you want to criticise a BBC story that is of course fine though.

What would you call it? The BBC are a trusted media outlet. They have experienced reporters who presumably know how the check out a story. Reporting that a new strain of coronavirus could potentially be dangerous to children is a huge story so why didn't they go straight to the experts. Why did they choose to broadcast one "scary" opinion that there were wards full of children suffering from coronavirus without even checking if this was true. This is not some individual on twitter this is the BBC. They chose to broadcast news that they should (or would) have known was fake. Doing so with the knowledge that these reports would make parents very anxious about sending their children to school.

The bbc have downplayed what has been going on in schools since they returned in September m. Repeatedly having articles and interviews with SD children with few to a room and with masks on. Their language in bbc reports have minimized the issues and now we are where we are.

I hate the phrase “fake news” - it’s straight from the Trump playbook and usually means “news I don’t like”. However, I agree the BBC could perhaps have approached this one differently. They don’t get everything right.

Its well established media is used to push agendas and scaremongering so doesn't surprise me.

Only have to look at how they dealt with lockdown announcements back in March with days upon days of pure speculation of what lockdown would mean with no facts because it hadn't been announced yet and dubious 'named sources'. Then the actual announcement is made and the they have their fun calling it u-turns, how can something be a bloody u-turn if it wasn't announced first

Click bait headlines is what sells nowadays

I have very little trust in whats reported in the news

Call it fake news or misinformation but its dine so we don't know the truth

The BBC have in general been a disgrace throughout the pandemic. James Gallagher in particular, who has the nerve to call himself a science writer, then chooses to ignore the parts of science that don't agree with his narrative, and write in the manner of an author of below par crime drama.

I have long since stopped relying on the BBC for rational and balanced reporting on the pandemic.

The BBC are a trusted media outlet

Are they? They seem to me like all the others in this era of 24/7 coverage, in that everyone tries for the most glaring headline

We might all have been better without this particular competition, but I guess it's a bit late to close the lid on that particular Pandora's Box - all we can hope for is that most see it for what it is

"Would there be a push to shut schools indefinitely without the media pushing false information about the risk to children?"
There isn't a 'push to shut schools indefinitely' so that's possibly the daftest part of your post, although there's some stiff competition for daftness.

I thought it was channel 4 news who interviewed the Matron ?

What did she say exactly ?

I totally disagree whenever I’m starting to worry I read BBC news or listen to one of their many informative podcasts, particularly those from Radio 4 programmes.

The government and right wing are actively trying to undermine the BBC because they don’t like factual information, just hyperbole and populism. Look at how they avoided interviews during the election campaign.

I’d highly recommend More or Less who look at statistics and the numbers in the news or even the World at One.

Yet Johnson was on Andrew Marr just this morning...

@Puzzledandpissedoff

The BBC are a trusted media outlet

Are they? They seem to me like all the others in this era of 24/7 coverage, in that everyone tries for the most glaring headline

We might all have been better without this particular competition, but I guess it's a bit late to close the lid on that particular Pandora's Box - all we can hope for is that most see it for what it is

We are often told not to trust new from various social media outlets because they can deliver "fake news". Rightly or wrongly the BBC is a more trusted media outlet. Perhaps many will be consider it the most trusted and may even be their primary source of news information. I chose the term "fake" news deliberately because the news they delivered was not truthful and because of the connotations this term has now gained with manipulative manipulation. Because to me that's what it looks like.

Nothing wrong with a catchy headline but for a trusted news outlet to manipulate their coverage in such a way that the truth is hidden is nothing less than fake news.

I see Dominic Cumnming's and the Tory party digital war room are on the weekend shift. Hope you are getting paid for that tosh and can I politely suggest you are talking fucking nonsense.

The matron was originally interviewed by Adrian Chiles on BBC 5Live.

@christinarossetti19

"Would there be a push to shut schools indefinitely without the media pushing false information about the risk to children?" There isn't a 'push to shut schools indefinitely' so that's possibly the daftest part of your post, although there's some stiff competition for daftness.

There is a push to shut them. Don't see any evidence of an end date to closures.

"the BBC is a more trusted media outlet".

Now I know that you're having a laugh.

I agree with you OP.

Billie18 the NAHT have asked the government to work with them and PHE to plan and implement a safe return to school sites.

They want this to be as soon as schools are safe - that's very clear from their statement if you trouble yourself to read it.

Russell Viner, while eminent, has tended to be unhelpful when talking about coronavirus and children (for example, not supporting concerns prior to school re-opening that transmission via children was likely, in the face of, well, common sense). He also has tended not to support mask wearing in schools.

I'd be more concerned if the BBC was only allowed to publish what he thought.

The concerns of this matron are certainly in the news, and they publish news don't they? And giving different perspectives is fine.

Do we actually have a news source we can trust? They all have a hidden agenda these days, you only have to look back at brexit and the general election to see none of them are impartial. What annoys me about the BBC is we have to pay for the privilege to listen to their nonsense, it's time we had the option of not paying.

The BBC is no longer a trusted media outlet. It is supposed to be. But it's overwhelming bias these days means it's no longer fit for purpose.

The number of deaths is not fake news, nor the number of positive tests.

I think you'd prefer it perhaps if they only gave out opinions that you agreed with?

Oh bollocks. It’s a fast-moving situation. If matrons are seeing wards full of children we need to know about it now, not once the statistics are analysed in three weeks time. If you think finding the message frightening means it’s false, you’re part of the problem.

I think the bbc has been very pro Tory throughout the whole pandemic and has been downplaying anything that goes against Tory party agenda. The new bbc director general previously stood as a Tory councillor not once, but twice. The bbc is not impartial.