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+UPDATE+
Dominic Cummings had discussions with british media (inc. senior BBC & ITV journalists) on govt herd immunity strategy in March which have been unreported - even tho now both TV stations continue to allow govt to present the case that herd immunity was never the policy.
Dominic Cummings had discussions with british media (inc. senior BBC & ITV journalists) on govt herd immunity strategy in March which have been unreported - even tho now both TV stations continue to allow govt to present the case that herd immunity was never the policy.
2/
In effect BBC & ITV collaborated in a “quiet” herd immunity strategy but when govt was forced to change track as deaths mounted then were co-opted into the Govt’s stance that it did not happen.
In effect BBC & ITV collaborated in a “quiet” herd immunity strategy but when govt was forced to change track as deaths mounted then were co-opted into the Govt’s stance that it did not happen.
3/
One group of “influential” media inc. one senior well known ITV journalist had several meetings with Dominic Cummings at the start of March, in which herd immunity policy was discussed. With benefits outlined.
Some of this leaked but no media reports SINCE policy change.
One group of “influential” media inc. one senior well known ITV journalist had several meetings with Dominic Cummings at the start of March, in which herd immunity policy was discussed. With benefits outlined.
Some of this leaked but no media reports SINCE policy change.
4/
This then formed some of the media reporting reporting around Coronavirus which then abruptly stopped when U.K. govt suddenly changed policy due to mounting deaths.
Since then BBC & ITV have suppressed reporting on this to a minimum. https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-12/british-government-wants-uk-to-acquire-coronavirus-herd-immunity-writes-robert-peston/
This then formed some of the media reporting reporting around Coronavirus which then abruptly stopped when U.K. govt suddenly changed policy due to mounting deaths.
Since then BBC & ITV have suppressed reporting on this to a minimum. https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-12/british-government-wants-uk-to-acquire-coronavirus-herd-immunity-writes-robert-peston/
5/
The problem here - which I don’t think for one moment knowledge thereof is limited - is that briefings are confidential.
Normally I have no problem with this.
However, this sets up ethical question that media now reporting uncritically something they NOW know to be false.
The problem here - which I don’t think for one moment knowledge thereof is limited - is that briefings are confidential.
Normally I have no problem with this.
However, this sets up ethical question that media now reporting uncritically something they NOW know to be false.
6/
I understand why it makes sense that some govt “context” on sensitive issues is disseminated privately to journalists. I also understand why a spokesperson should be unattributable sometimes.
However something has seriously gone wrong here.
And here why...
I understand why it makes sense that some govt “context” on sensitive issues is disseminated privately to journalists. I also understand why a spokesperson should be unattributable sometimes.
However something has seriously gone wrong here.
And here why...
7/
Where the spokesman/source is actually deciding the policy AND providing context then maintaining confidentiality when policy is changed in effect co-opts journalists as active & discreet partipants into the govt communication machine.
This is what has happened now in UK.
Where the spokesman/source is actually deciding the policy AND providing context then maintaining confidentiality when policy is changed in effect co-opts journalists as active & discreet partipants into the govt communication machine.
This is what has happened now in UK.
8/
Many of you know I publicly stopped using “UK govt sources” where it referred to Dominic Cummings in January.
The issue here is that I felt reporting was becoming compromised where the spokesperson is an active policy decider.
We now see the effect of this on UK media.
Many of you know I publicly stopped using “UK govt sources” where it referred to Dominic Cummings in January.
The issue here is that I felt reporting was becoming compromised where the spokesperson is an active policy decider.
We now see the effect of this on UK media.
9/
I see a couple of people have cast doubt on this thread. I find this a bit bemusing as I thought it one of my least controversial. Much of the information here has been widely known since months on any case.
I see a couple of people have cast doubt on this thread. I find this a bit bemusing as I thought it one of my least controversial. Much of the information here has been widely known since months on any case.
