Are the media misreading our mood?

I agree Mamissimo, I think the writer has it spot on. There’s nothing more draining than endless carping negativity. We have stopped listening to the questions at the end of the briefings. I don’t think the shouters realise just how little notice people take of it all - empty vessels etc. Everyone wants the best for their country and feel the tragedy but most respond best to positivity and ‘can do’, which is why Boris is so popular.

Thank you for that article; it expresses exactly what I think.

This is not an election and there are no votes to be won; this dangerous blame game initiated by people who have no responsibility in decision making is deeply irresponsible. I rarely listen to more than a couple of minutes of the Today programme, which I have followed since about 1970 because of the deliberate negativity of all the reporters, Nick Robinson being the worst.

Thank you.Couldn't agree more.And without fail the neighbours I can talk to and friends feel just the same.

No, Effie is totally wrong. What's all this about 'brave, optimistic and full of faith'? How about being observant and realistic?

The comparison to war really gets on my nerves. OK, we have a common 'enemy' - the virus - but there the similarity ends. We are all doing what we can to help and support each other but there's no need for rose-tinted spectacles or fingers in ears. We don't have the 'wartime spirit'.

Negativity? There has been such an awful lot to criticise. Politics, of course, it's all about politics, everything is.

Mistakes, yes people and politicians make mistakes but we had the great advantage of witnessing what was happening in China and Europe - so a little more time to prepare. Still, so many 'mistakes'.

A lot of us are really hopping mad (or horrified) at how events are unfolding, all the excess, unnecessary deaths, the suffering of families and friends, the shambles of a government doing too little, too late.

Journalism is reflecting the mood of the majority - not missing it!

How absolutely pointless to look back to the Maginot Line, infact who on earth would anybody wish to hint at such a comparison?

It's on a par with Bush wanting to smoke them out. There is no " them".

There is no parellel wo be drawn between the Wild West and terrorism, nor is there one to be drawn between WW2 and a pandemic .

Pray tell me , what is there to be upbeat about?

‘can do’, which is why Boris is so popular

What? can do? Can't do anything because very ill.

Viruses are not political.

Anyone making the devastating mistakes that have led to thousands of unnecessary deaths should be held to account.

Nothing political about it. The same people who aren't happy with the tory handling of this would be saying the same if labour were making handling it badly.

Perhaps if we are to discuss politics in relations to this it is that tory voters seem to think politics is like football and they should pick a team and support them regardless.

Labour voters seem to be happy happy to hold all to account.

Those last 2 are based on my own personal experiences of both.

All of those errors I blame on autocorrect because it makes me feel better.

Some of it I agree with but there is one statement that she makes that I can't agree with :
A person or a people who believe they will win in the end is much more likely to do so
She invokes, like so many others, battles of war and 'the little army against the big army' where the 'little army' wins over the 'big army' because they believe they can win. Positivity is one thing but it takes more than belief to win. What, for example does it imply about anyone who has died of a disease, including this virus? That they didn't have enough belief and therefore they died? No.

Mamissimo thank you for sharing this and I couldn't agree more. I don't share the view that we should be angry about everything in the current crisis. These are unprecedented times and NO ONE leading us through this is going to get everything right. They are human beings first and are working round the clock to try to guide us through this and actually much of what is being done is absolutely amazing. Strangely, as we were washing up after tea, I commented to my husband that if todays journalists were around in WW2, the Germans would have had a field day. I thought the Army General who spoke at today's briefing was inspirational in his clarity and humility.

I’m sure you have heard the expression before. ‘Can do’ is a positive mindset and attitude, like the volunteers and returning doctors and nurses and all the other ordinary people who have set about wanting to be involved and help, not sit on the sidelines and moan. Whether you agree or not with Brexit, it only moved forward when BJ took the reins, with his can do attitude against a great many obstacles and ignored the ‘gloomsters and doomsters’ and won the election by a landslide.

I am a keyworker and I do have a "can do" attitude I also think that the delaying of lock down killed people. The two aren't mutually exclusive

Spot on Starblaze!

The virus killed people. No one is saying mistakes weren’t made and that particular point is raised in the article.

No I think exactly the opposite. I thank god for some of the media trying to hold the government to account. It's part of democracy.

Star blaze, concise and accurate.

The time for the inevitable enquiry and questions will be once we are all out of lockdown and distancing is over. The daily shouting matches waste so much time and energy and don’t hold the government to account.....only the next election will do that.

Our response to this pandemic is warlike because we come together as a community to use everything we have to overcome a danger. The loss of every life wounds us all but the media could help us all far more by not being so relentlessly abrasive.

The truth will out in its own time when we have the facts, the science and the time to do it justice.

It is perfectly possible to be 'brave, optimistic and full of faith' at the same time as being 'observant and realistic'. Morale does matter and parts of the media are doing their utmost to destroy it. News headlines this morning: first story: delay in arrival of PPE, second story , care homes might not have enough equipment; both yesterday's news; way down the list: Oxford university and Imperial College ( I think) leading the field to discover a vaccine; wonderful co operation between countries in this fight. That news, positive and encouraging, should have led the headlines.

Time afterwards to examine mistakes, possible lack of foresight or wrong decisions, none made lightly, (so easy to criticise when you are not the one making the decisions).
At present it is a case of encouraging everyone to pull together, which most people are doing, without complaint.
Those who aren't can always be reported.

Your comment, coggie, is contemptible.

I agree Galaxy, of course they need to be held to account, but it’s the manner in which it’s being done which the article is against.

I agree with OP and the author f the article but and this is a very big but that is not the tone of many of the contributions on GN these days. Accusations of political incompetence/personal responsibility/accusations that signs were ignored and that many in GN could have told the government otherwise weeks ago. I won’t name names but “Where is Boris” or “Statistics, Lies or Reassurance”, “Covexit how would you manage it” or “Lockdown Over” are examples
Hope and calm?
Try Soops Kitchen .

Agree totally with*Starblaze*..

Well said eazybee
No one knows what lies ahead of us, what twists and turns this pandemic might take. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time. When we know better, then we do better.

With all sue respect, none of us are in positions of power and discussing the issue between ourselves makes no difference to anything.

Everyone is doing their best under difficult circumstances.

Think of all the people who have lost someone dear and must cope with wondering if it could have been avoided.

When it comes to the point where questions must be asked I will have mine ready.

Discussing that with both sides (ridiculous concept having sides) will help me better formulate those questions as I listen to what others have to say rather than post a discussion topic and get funny when I don't like the replies

I actually know a sue and I don't respect her very much, that should be due