The Big Match 1974 and how things change

[cromwell]

I've just been watching old football matches on BT Sport. The Big Match from September 1974. How things have changed. Not only the fashions and hairstyles (what sideburns the players had).
The commentator was Brian Moore and the tone of the commentary was totally different from today. It was just a straight commentary of the game - what was actually happening. There was no "Oh he should have done this not that". It was uncritical.
And in a way this is an absolute example of how the country (or at least the media) really have changed.
Because now everyone in the media is critical, and not only in football.
No matter what the government does, it is wrong. Brexit is wrong. The election result is wrong. Trump is wrong. Bernie Sanders is wrong. This is not right, that is not right.
I don't know if the government's health strategy on the CV is wrong or right. But I do know that politicians are just listening to the Chief Medical Officer and taking his advice. OK, it might be right, it might be wrong - I don't know.
But whatever they do the government are wrong. If they listen to the CMO they are wrong. If they disregarded his advice the media would melt down with sneering at how wrong they were.
If only 1,000 people die because of CV the media would say the government should have done more.
It is just a blizzard of negativity and it has gone on for years.
I'm not saying let's ignore the seriousness of the situation.
But like Brian Moore, can it just be reported straight? Just give us the facts and the advice.
Don't, as the media do, give us your opinion as a fact, because it isn't.

Too much to ask for I suppose but I'm so fed up with know-alls on the news and their constant slanting of everything that I've stopped watching it again now. I bet I'm not the only one either. The papers are nearly as bad too!

[Workingman]

The papers are the worst and always have been, but that is because they are founded on a political ideology. Some are to the right, some to the left, very few are neutral, and there are a lot of comics.

I always thought that the broadcast media at least paid lip service to the BBC's charter to inform, educate and entertain.... then came Sky and also 24 hour non-news.

Broadcasters now have a 24 hour vacuum to fill and as nature abhors a vacuum it fills it with opinion and 'Elsie's cat ate next door's dog's dinner' type stories. I don't so much mind opinions when they are given by someone who might know something of the subject, but they are not. They are given by journalists and commentators with a very narrow knowledge of the real world. Very often if it is outside politics, or Westmonster, they just go with the 'trend' or against it without any real knowing of why.

Then there are the agendas... of which the BBC has a warehouse full.

[Kaz]

Spot on!

[Suff]

I haven't looked at a newspaper figure on the virus since I found the worldometer site. They are always out of date and only give you the information they want to give you.

As for the quality of news, Erm sorry, hysteria, that is well filtered out.

I did read, today, that ITV was given an off the record briefing which was promptly written up. Apart from the breach of trust, the writeup was pretty fair, including the analysis that if we do not time this well, we are going to overwhelm the NHS and have to be making the choices going on in Italy today.

It was immediately picked up and used for screaming hysterical panic inducing headlines.

My Brother wrote to me today and said he would start sensibly stocking up on supplies in about two weeks when the panicking horeldes ran out of house room for the stuff they have gone mad buying.

My brother is on immunosuppressants so it is vital he does not get infected.

[cromwell]

The papers are the worst and always have been,

If there is one business that goes bust in the next year I hope it's the Daily Mail. Their coverage has plumbed the depths, it's just flat out inciting panic. Capitalised screaming headlines deliberately designed to upset people. Vile rag.

[Suff]

The papers are the worst and always have been,

If there is one business that goes bust in the next year I hope it's the Daily Mail. Their coverage has plumbed the depths, it's just flat out inciting panic. Capitalised screaming headlines deliberately designed to upset people. Vile rag.

Something changed in the last few weeks?

I don't think so.