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I understand that people have mixed views about the pubs being open or not. That's not the point I'm here to argue.
What I do question is why @WalesOnline clearly have a strong opinion on it and are pushing that view subliminally through 'just reporting facts'.
What I do question is why @WalesOnline clearly have a strong opinion on it and are pushing that view subliminally through 'just reporting facts'.
The journalistic integrity here is weak at best.
In example 1, we see an article about England with a brief mention of 'not in Wales though' halfway through. For 'Wales Online', what's the point in this article? What is the actual relevance to Wales?
In example 1, we see an article about England with a brief mention of 'not in Wales though' halfway through. For 'Wales Online', what's the point in this article? What is the actual relevance to Wales?
In example 2, they're essentially platforming the frustration that they've encouraged in example 1. A quote is reported with no critical eye (we were ahead on hairdressers, remember?), and an article written around it.
They've spent a good wedge of the pandemic reporting on how 'confused' people are about the lockdown rules in Wales. Do they not consider this to be somewhat within their remit? The Welsh Govt have done press conferences, but surely media in Wales have responsibilities here?
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/coronavirus-rules-christmas-lockdown-wales-19468976
Instead, they lead with telling you how confusing it is, before outlining the rules in simple bullet points below paragraphs of text and adverts that we factually know have a much lower percentage of people bothering to read.
Instead, they lead with telling you how confusing it is, before outlining the rules in simple bullet points below paragraphs of text and adverts that we factually know have a much lower percentage of people bothering to read.
@WalesOnline has abdicated responsibility throughout this pandemic. They have been adversarial to the aims of the Welsh Government bringing down rates of infection, they have *encouraged* confusion that didn't need to exist, and they have fostered resentment to lockdown.
It's a cliché, but it's an absolute rag of a media outlet.
Media should exist to inform the public. This is by far Wales' largest national outlet, and that's not Wales gets. It's an outlet that struggles to understand devolution and divergence caused by it in general.
Media should exist to inform the public. This is by far Wales' largest national outlet, and that's not Wales gets. It's an outlet that struggles to understand devolution and divergence caused by it in general.
It's an outlet that will happily hamper a public health crisis response by pushing controversial and divisive angles, rather than act as a means of getting vital information to the population - because they don't care about journalism, they care about 'engagement'.
An article that gets angry views, comments, quote-retweets is worth more to them than a solid article that people read and move on with without comment because there's nothing that needs to be said. They're financially incentivised to cause a stir.
Swans fans will know this too well already. Look at their head of sports, a 'journalist' who spends all of his time on Twitter bigging up the club he supports and antagonising fans of the rivals, and couldn't even bring himself to comment on the retirement of Ashley Williams.
Cutting the thread here before it becomes too much of a ramble, but I'll end with a simple point:
Wales deserves better than this.
Wales deserves better than this.
I will actually add one extra bit to this - I know there are some good journalists doing good work there too. The problems outlined are primarily institutional and editorial, so all I'll say on any 'exceptions' is that I hope to see them at better outlets in future.
