🗞️1/13
Jan 9th the WHO told us #Coronavirus was a potential Pandemic.
Today. Finally. The Sunday Times noticed we'd wasted the time.
But even they've made it about #Cummings. The rot is deeper.
A free press is whistleblower & protector. A thread on their scrutiny of #COVID19.
Jan 9th the WHO told us #Coronavirus was a potential Pandemic.
Today. Finally. The Sunday Times noticed we'd wasted the time.
But even they've made it about #Cummings. The rot is deeper.
A free press is whistleblower & protector. A thread on their scrutiny of #COVID19.
🗞️2/13
How long should we give UK Press to notice? Major viral outbreak notifications are severe alerts.
The Government must jump into action.
So how long to ask for a press conference?
To ask for a status?
A week? Two weeks?
Let's be kind.
Let's give them a month.
Feb 9th
How long should we give UK Press to notice? Major viral outbreak notifications are severe alerts.
The Government must jump into action.
So how long to ask for a press conference?
To ask for a status?
A week? Two weeks?
Let's be kind.
Let's give them a month.
Feb 9th
🗞️3/13
The Express was cheering at the economic boom we'd get from Brexit.
The Mail worried about Harry Dunn?
Observer fretted about health security.
Telegraph bemoaned a potential mansion tax and pensions raid.
How ironic.
None spotted no containment at airports.
The Express was cheering at the economic boom we'd get from Brexit.
The Mail worried about Harry Dunn?
Observer fretted about health security.
Telegraph bemoaned a potential mansion tax and pensions raid.
How ironic.
None spotted no containment at airports.
🗞️4/13
For almost ANOTHER month 'nada'. Did they read WHO warnings?
A WHO warning, even pre-Pandemic, is significant..BAD. We'd had two near misses with SARS and an H1n1 outbreak
Finally on Feb 26th a mention.
Sensationalism
But surely that prompts a question on our readiness?
For almost ANOTHER month 'nada'. Did they read WHO warnings?
A WHO warning, even pre-Pandemic, is significant..BAD. We'd had two near misses with SARS and an H1n1 outbreak
Finally on Feb 26th a mention.
Sensationalism
But surely that prompts a question on our readiness?
🗞️5/13
3/3/20 UKGov's 'plan'. No one checked. The gaps were expenses scandal huge.
Mail. The Queen can work, so can you.
Telegraph 👍 the budget of the week.
Express: Nothing can stop it (when we weren't trying to stop it).
Guardian whispered a problem. But never returned.
3/3/20 UKGov's 'plan'. No one checked. The gaps were expenses scandal huge.
Mail. The Queen can work, so can you.
Telegraph 👍 the budget of the week.
Express: Nothing can stop it (when we weren't trying to stop it).
Guardian whispered a problem. But never returned.
🗞️6/13
Nothing more until March 13th, the day to report the Uturn.
The press shared Gov advice to go to the office, shake hands, interact.
One oddity. The morning of the 12th, a day ahead of schedule Telegraph managed to report the story of the next day. Prescient I guess?
Nothing more until March 13th, the day to report the Uturn.
The press shared Gov advice to go to the office, shake hands, interact.
One oddity. The morning of the 12th, a day ahead of schedule Telegraph managed to report the story of the next day. Prescient I guess?
🗞️7/13
March 12th Uturn. Press still asleep but TV started to worry.
Letters to UKGov
Weird Heard Immunity speeches.
WHO complaints
Then a 180° strategy Uturn by UKGov.
So 13th would be a bloodbath of scrutiny?
Let's score.
Mail ❌
Express ❌
Mirror ❎ for asking a question
March 12th Uturn. Press still asleep but TV started to worry.
Letters to UKGov
Weird Heard Immunity speeches.
WHO complaints
Then a 180° strategy Uturn by UKGov.
So 13th would be a bloodbath of scrutiny?
Let's score.
Mail ❌
Express ❌
Mirror ❎ for asking a question
🗞️8/13
The Star ❌❌❌Really?
Telegraph ❌
Guardian❌ come on G. We needed you
Indi ✅ scratched at the story.
📣 Yes. Indi!
Why are they resisting?
Extend the thought!
What had they done to prepare for two months?
NHS prep?
TV and leaflets about symptoms?
We never found out.
The Star ❌❌❌Really?
Telegraph ❌
Guardian❌ come on G. We needed you
Indi ✅ scratched at the story.
📣 Yes. Indi!
Why are they resisting?
Extend the thought!
What had they done to prepare for two months?
NHS prep?
TV and leaflets about symptoms?
We never found out.
🗞️9/13
The next criticism of the UKGov plan was this piece by the Scotsman. Unfortunately, they didn't keep it up (Salmond🏛️)
Until today's news in the Sunday Times you might conclude UKGov's handling of #coronavirusuk was excellent, their preparedness perfect. NHS ready.
The next criticism of the UKGov plan was this piece by the Scotsman. Unfortunately, they didn't keep it up (Salmond🏛️)
Until today's news in the Sunday Times you might conclude UKGov's handling of #coronavirusuk was excellent, their preparedness perfect. NHS ready.
🗞️10/13
Be an editor with me. Let's ask some PM questions.
After Jan 9th, when did activity start?
What % of preparedness are we at?
What changed to drive the huge Uturn? (science didn't)
How many unjust deaths under the old plan?
How many will still happen because we failed?
Be an editor with me. Let's ask some PM questions.
After Jan 9th, when did activity start?
What % of preparedness are we at?
What changed to drive the huge Uturn? (science didn't)
How many unjust deaths under the old plan?
How many will still happen because we failed?
🗞️11/13
You were asking for ventilators on March 13th. How long have you known of the gap?
You spent £100m on TV last year. Yet nothing on #Covid_19. Not even warnings of symptoms?
Continue yourself. The list is endless. And it's mindless.
Do we even have a free press?
You were asking for ventilators on March 13th. How long have you known of the gap?
You spent £100m on TV last year. Yet nothing on #Covid_19. Not even warnings of symptoms?
Continue yourself. The list is endless. And it's mindless.
Do we even have a free press?
🗞️13/13
If our Press cannot, or will not scrutinise UKGov, then we need new ways to do so.
This disaster, additional deaths, result from inadequate oversight of a too-powerful executive giving itself more power and less oversight.
Where are the 75% on that?
You guessed it.
If our Press cannot, or will not scrutinise UKGov, then we need new ways to do so.
This disaster, additional deaths, result from inadequate oversight of a too-powerful executive giving itself more power and less oversight.
Where are the 75% on that?
You guessed it.
PostScript 1.
For clarity.
Don't confuse my use of 'Press' with Journalism. World-class Journalists know this story. They can't publish
Because editors and owners refuse to publish.
Once that happens, the Press becomes undeclared political advertising.
Dangerous to rely on.
For clarity.
Don't confuse my use of 'Press' with Journalism. World-class Journalists know this story. They can't publish
Because editors and owners refuse to publish.
Once that happens, the Press becomes undeclared political advertising.
Dangerous to rely on.
PostScript2.
I asserted the #SundayTimes had half a story.
They answer Who? They do some digging into HOW, and very little into WHY.
The story isn't about #cummings. Though he's an important case study.
The story is ideological death⏬
Waco, Texas.
I asserted the #SundayTimes had half a story.
They answer Who? They do some digging into HOW, and very little into WHY.
The story isn't about #cummings. Though he's an important case study.
The story is ideological death⏬
Waco, Texas.
Postscript 3a.
Someone asked how this happens at the Free Press?
There's no easy way to understand this because you need to shift your mental model.
Forget superman newsrooms, or 1940s editors smoking cigars as they encourage journalists to follow stories. Those are all wrong.
Someone asked how this happens at the Free Press?
There's no easy way to understand this because you need to shift your mental model.
Forget superman newsrooms, or 1940s editors smoking cigars as they encourage journalists to follow stories. Those are all wrong.
Postscript 3b.
It's more like an airline. Upfront you've got first class
First Class - The Campaigns.
These are things that aren't really news and not necessarily in the public interest. Often mandated by the Owner. Sometimes even written by him. And often not admitted.
It's more like an airline. Upfront you've got first class
First Class - The Campaigns.
These are things that aren't really news and not necessarily in the public interest. Often mandated by the Owner. Sometimes even written by him. And often not admitted.
PS3C
Business Class
Columnists
Many A Grade Hacks. Real Genius. Never, ever given the attention they deserve and often supresssed if they discover something that contradicts campaigns.
Then you have celeb contributors. Some good, but some awful. Rarely do they do anything good.
Business Class
Columnists
Many A Grade Hacks. Real Genius. Never, ever given the attention they deserve and often supresssed if they discover something that contradicts campaigns.
Then you have celeb contributors. Some good, but some awful. Rarely do they do anything good.
PS3D
Economy Class
Sausage Factory. Churn stuff out, fill pages or digital with sufficient words for advertising to sit next to. Once in a blue moon will a sausage factory worker discover a story of merit. Even more rarely will they be allowed to run with it.
Economy Class
Sausage Factory. Churn stuff out, fill pages or digital with sufficient words for advertising to sit next to. Once in a blue moon will a sausage factory worker discover a story of merit. Even more rarely will they be allowed to run with it.
PS3E
The rot is in Campaigns. Newspapers have tiny amounts of forensic reporting these days, if any.
So Campaingns becomes the angle. It sets the tone.
eg. Campaign is low taxes.
Evidence UK Gov failed to deal with flood defence for 5 years.
Story dies. Would mean more taxes.
The rot is in Campaigns. Newspapers have tiny amounts of forensic reporting these days, if any.
So Campaingns becomes the angle. It sets the tone.
eg. Campaign is low taxes.
Evidence UK Gov failed to deal with flood defence for 5 years.
Story dies. Would mean more taxes.
PS3F
There are still some old school journalists who care about "truth", but far too few.
The Campaingers have the whip hand and care nothing for truth. Much like the politicians they work with, truth is the reality they create.
And the owner define what the reality will be.
There are still some old school journalists who care about "truth", but far too few.
The Campaingers have the whip hand and care nothing for truth. Much like the politicians they work with, truth is the reality they create.
And the owner define what the reality will be.
PS3G
Don't for a moment think that reality cannot be manipulated.
I wrote this thread to show the huge effects from some simple campaigned lies. The subject is nicely obscure, incandescent lightbulbs, and yet it's become an weird obsession for millions.
Don't for a moment think that reality cannot be manipulated.
I wrote this thread to show the huge effects from some simple campaigned lies. The subject is nicely obscure, incandescent lightbulbs, and yet it's become an weird obsession for millions.
PS3H
That's all you need to know on how it happened.
You understand my fear.
That climate won't ever hold to account. No scrutiny, not even investigation if the owner doesn't want it
It's not their fault. Collapsing economics pushed them there. It's our fault for not realising.
That's all you need to know on how it happened.
You understand my fear.
That climate won't ever hold to account. No scrutiny, not even investigation if the owner doesn't want it
It's not their fault. Collapsing economics pushed them there. It's our fault for not realising.
Example
I don't blame Peter - I might be writing this too if I had no information
The Mail claps itself on the back for free-speech.
Yet in so doing how negligent?
They don't know that the difference might be 500,000 lives
Because THEY haven't asked.
I don't blame Peter - I might be writing this too if I had no information
The Mail claps itself on the back for free-speech.
Yet in so doing how negligent?
They don't know that the difference might be 500,000 lives
Because THEY haven't asked.
And yet THEY'RE the press.
And they also haven't asked why the Government has such an abysmal communication strategy.
And yet THEY'RE the press.
They haven't asked why that strategy all changed just two weeks ago.
But what they do is print an uninformed opinion piece...
And they also haven't asked why the Government has such an abysmal communication strategy.
And yet THEY'RE the press.
They haven't asked why that strategy all changed just two weeks ago.
But what they do is print an uninformed opinion piece...
