Current Affairs

[Mervyn and Trish]

The reason why bad news is reported more than good news is that the good news is not sensational.

If some of these news reporters were to spend a bit of time ding some research, as I have just done, they would be able to report that the average number of deaths in the UK up to the end March is below average for the last five years.

Also the number of deaths this year is up by just over 4,000 - the majority (3,800) in the first three weeks of the year.

There are approximately 500,000 deaths a year in the UK which equates to around 1,400 on average per day.

But putting the Coronavirus deaths in context does not make news.

Now I am not saying that the number of deaths from Coronavirus is not a significant figure to measure the trend and whether we have peaked or not but I suspect that some of these deaths are a crossover from other reasons.


Source: ONS

That is very true. It's a question I was often asked when working in broadcasting.

100,000 vehicles passing safely up and down the M1 is not news because that is what is supposed to happen. A minibus full of people wiped out by a sleeping lorry driver is.

A town full of pensioners having a good night's sleep is not news. One being woken by a burglar and raped is.

Most of the world being at peace isn't news. The continuing strife in places like Syria is.

But some good news is news too. People recovering from Coronavirus is. Discovering a cure for cancer will be. Cruises starting again will be.

But the problem with the bald statistics you quote is no-one actually knows the definitive numbers. The stats are for people dying in hospital with CV. That's a bit like most men over 80 die with prostate cancer, but few of them of it. But the stats don't include those dying in care homes or the community or undiagnosed. So the figure we have is all we have and the only real significance is that if it is calculated consistently it will eventually give us a trend that indicates we're winning. And that will be good news.

And of course everyone, the government, the NHS, the media, are careful not to downplay this. There are enough idiots out there ignoring the rules without giving them any further reason to say it's not really a problem.

[david63]

But the problem with the bald statistics you quote is no-one actually knows the definitive numbers.

Those stats are the registered deaths from the ONS so they are as definitive as is possible. Now I can accept that there may be some deaths in March that have not been registered yet, but that will only be a few otherwise funerals cannot take place.

[Manoverboard]

......…. Both Spain and Italy were locked down more strictly than us, and it's only been recently that they have started to turn the corner.

The Spanish numbers seem to be on the increase again …

[Ray B]

Let's face it, the press brigage have had it easy for a good while now, what with leaving the EU, the Royals and just when they may have to go and sniff out a story, along comes the carona virus. As for the new leader of the opposition, he had hardly any time devoted to him. Under normal circumstances there would have been loads of time. Manner from heaven, just when you need it.

[Stephen]

I'm surprised they didn't ask how the Brexit negotiations were going.

[Jonty S1]

Today’s briefing was hosted by Sophie Raworth who despite being a touch lightweight struck the right tone. Over recent days Clive Myrey, who has been perfectly professional in the past, has sighed, led and closed down interviewees, most disappointing. There you are Mervyn, a positive about the BBC. As luck would have it my least liked newsreader, ITVs Alistair Stewart has gone!

[Frank Manning]

With regard to reporting. Keunessberg's unfortunate in having such a sour and superior look. The look of the self appointed critic of every action whichever way it goes. I bet if the government had announced that lockdown would be relaxed next week, but must be strictly maintained until then, she would have been on it in a flash saying it was too soon. If next weekend people just went out in droves saying "well it is going to end on Tuesday", and a week later there was a massive increase in new cases, she would be saying it was too soon to announce it. Yet today she and others persisted with trying to get such an answer. I feel like throwing something at the TV every time she curls her lip to ask a question. ( I am quite a moderate placid person normally)

[towny44]

I watched the ITV news this evening and it was refreshingly far less strident than the BBC, the journalists discussed the issues in a level headed manner without any of the negativity the Beebs reporters display.
So it would seem the news can be presented in a reasonable and sensible manner after all.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well there you go John. Stiick with it.

[towny44]

Well there you go John. Stiick with it.

But I so enjoy cursing Laura and rest of the beebs reporters, as well as old Aunty herself.

[Manoverboard]

The presenters on BBC's Breakfast show this morning were a tad less aggressive, or so I thought … long may it continue.

[johnds]

I understand that the lockdown is having a devastating effect on garden centres and nurseries. These must be desperate times for them.
My favourite local garden centre has introduced a service whereby you can ring or email what you want and they wii take payment by credit card.
At an agreed time your order is placed in a bay on their car park for you to collect.

However I believe that in the current rstrictions I would be breaking the rules (law?) if I drove to the garden centre to collect compost etc.
It's hardly essential

What do you think?

[CaroleF]

Last night in the Downing Street briefing one idiot reporter did ask about Brexit - couldn't believe it. He asked if this was the right time to be leaving the EU and was smartly told that we have already left and the trade negotiations are on-going. I can't believe that reporters can all waste their time asking the same question in different ways - lifting the lock-down - and getting the same answer. Maybe they can't risk asking something that might result in good news.
Sort of changing the subject I heard a discussion this morning on the radio about telling friends about your holiday - you remember, we used to have them. It was pointed out that friends are really not interested in being told, Yes it was wonderful, fantastic hotel, amazing scenery etc. However, they are interested when they are told - It was awful, you'll never guess what happened...... Then friend listens with great anticipation at hearing of the horrors that occurred. It's the same with news, especially at the moment, that's all the reporters seem to want to know.

[Manoverboard]

I understand that the lockdown is having a devastating effect on garden centres and nurseries. These must be desperate times for them.
My favourite local garden centre has introduced a service whereby you can ring or email what you want and they wii take payment by credit card.
At an agreed time your order is placed in a bay on their car park for you to collect.

However I believe that in the current rstrictions I would be breaking the rules (law?) if I drove to the garden centre to collect compost etc.
It's hardly essential

What do you think?

Our Garden Centre of choice does deliveries …. yours must also have a van ?

[Frank Manning]

I think most people agree about the Media performance over the recent weeks. I have an online subscription to the Times and the Guardian. The Guardian is as dour and fixated as the BBC on doom subject's. Pity because a lot of BBC output makes the license fee worthwhile. But their news is one long tale of woe woe and thrice times woe.

[Quizzical Bob]

I think most people agree about the Media performance over the recent weeks. I have an online subscription to the Times and the Guardian. The Guardian is as dour and fixated as the BBC on doom subject's. Pity because a lot of BBC output makes the license fee worthwhile. But their news is one long tale of woe woe and thrice times woe.

There is so little to report that it’s best avoided.

[johnds]

Our Garden Centre of choice does deliveries …. yours must also have a van ?

They were offering delivery but seem to have stopped
They are not answering the phone so I have emailed

[Mervyn and Trish]

Good old Keir Starmer. Taken his cue from the more idiotic reporters it seems.

He wants the government to publish details of their exit strategy from lockdown. Presumably this is so he can either leap up and down when they tell him it's too early to have one because there are too many unknowns, or so he can criticise anything they do say. Rather like Corbyn pledged to oppose the Brexit deal, irrespective of what it was. And he said he wasn't going to oppose for opposition, sake. Hypocrite.

I'd love to be a reporter interviewing him right now. My question would be "Sir Keir, if you were in government right now, rather than sniping from opposition, what would your strategy be? What would you recommend the government do?"

It's so easy to be in opposition. And Labour have had a lot of practice!

[Manoverboard]

Our Garden Centre of choice does deliveries …. yours must also have a van ?

They were offering delivery but seem to have stopped
They are not answering the phone so I have emailed

Ours did the same so we tried doing a ' Ringback ', it worked a treat. Seems they disabled the phones once they had a van load and then enabled them again when it was time to fill up the van again.

Plants and compost is selling like hot cakes round here .

[Mervyn and Trish]

Our Garden Centre of choice does deliveries …. yours must also have a van ?

They were offering delivery but seem to have stopped
They are not answering the phone so I have emailed

Ours did the same so we tried doing a ' Ringback ', it worked a treat. Seems they disabled the phones once they had a van load and then enabled them again when it was time to fill up the van again.

Plants and compost is selling like hot cakes round here .

Trish made a nice cake. Just saying….

[Manoverboard]

Trish made a nice cake. Just saying….

Nothing like a potted plant 'n' compost cake I always say

[Frank Manning]

Good old Keir Starmer. Taken his cue from the more idiotic reporters it seems.

He wants the government to publish details of their exit strategy from lockdown.

It's so easy to be in opposition. And Labour have had a lot of practice!

Of course you are right. Here you are then Undergrad politics assignment.
Labour - Guardian - BBC
A linked strategy? :
Discuss.
2500 words.

[Frank Manning]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month. I was paying Sky a lot more before I cancelled and that was definitely helping to line the pockets of a media plutocrat , somone who has consistently used the power of the Media to promote personal advantage. I do think BBC news and current affairs programmes are dour.

[oldbluefox]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month. I was paying Sky a lot more before I cancelled and that was definitely helping to line the pockets of a media plutocrat , somone who has consistently used the power of the Media to promote personal advantage. I do think BBC news and current affairs programmes are dour.

I agree. When you consider that the BBC is more than TV programmes I find myself listening to the radio more and more especially for its news items. I think it must be me though since having been raised on programmes such as "I'm sorry I haven't a clue" and "Just a minute" I find the latest offerings for comedy on Radio 4 are childish and just unfunny. Apparently the Beeb are trying to appeal to a younger generation.
Sadly the BBC now seems to be focused more on presenters' egos than on presenting the news (cue Naga Munchetty here).Not interested in their bloated egos, all I want is a report on what is happening. Leave it to the politicians to call the government to account.

[towny44]

Just for info I don't want to see the BBC emasculated by abolishing the license fee. It is still good value at around £12 A month. I was paying Sky a lot more before I cancelled and that was definitely helping to line the pockets of a media plutocrat , somone who has consistently used the power of the Media to promote personal advantage. I do think BBC news and current affairs programmes are dour.

But of course Murdoch has not had anything to do with Sky since 2018, they are now owned by Comcast.