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Coronavirus

Tea time news update

(57 Posts)
Lizbethann55 Wed 08-Apr-20 17:41:13

I watch the evening catchup from Downing Street every evening. Am I alone in feeling fed up with the very negative, passive aggressive and often repetitive questions that the various journalists are asking. I am amazed by the patience, tolerance and professionalism of the three experts every evening. I am screaming at the tele " what a b****y stupid question!" " they've already answered that umpteen times", "don't you ever listen".

Gemini17892 Wed 08-Apr-20 17:43:30

#me too !
I’m so with you on this and I also think that all these updates take valuable time from people who have pressing problems to sort out.

Jane10 Wed 08-Apr-20 17:43:50

It not just you! All my (now virtual) friends are complaining about the idiocy of these journalists. Are they not listening to what they're being told!! DH has just walked out again from it as they're driving him nuts.

SueDonim Wed 08-Apr-20 17:46:40

Yes, I agree. I don’t know how the experts keep their cool.

Why is Laura Kuessenburg almost always first to ask a question?

GrannyLaine Wed 08-Apr-20 17:46:50

Totally agree! We were just saying that there was scarcely an intelligent question asked. Extremely irritating.

Chestnut Wed 08-Apr-20 17:51:24

I've stopped watching them although I record them in case something important happens. I stick to the news which is much shorter and covers all the main items.

Oopsminty Wed 08-Apr-20 17:54:21

Totally agree

Eglantine21 Wed 08-Apr-20 18:03:42

I turned the journalists off this evening having got exasperated with them yesterday.

Long rambly questions and they don’t listen to the answers.

Self important people who just like the sound of their own voices!

Ilovecheese Wed 08-Apr-20 18:10:35

Is it that you think that the journalists are asking the wrong questions?
Or do you think that they should not ask any questions at all?

Septimia Wed 08-Apr-20 18:13:20

We tend to listen to the bulletin and then watch something else.

It really seems as if the journalists just want to make their voices heard. If someone has already asked the question they have to ask it again or think up something even less sensible in order to get themselves on screen.

Missfoodlove Wed 08-Apr-20 18:35:38

I think the inane questions are because these so called journalists no longer have an army of support around them.
Previously the questions were probably devised by a behind the scenes assistant!

Labaik Wed 08-Apr-20 18:39:51

I thought the questions about why the Germans are doing so much better than us at containing the pandemic are necessary; ditto the ones asking about when we will be doing the testing that was promised. But I'm annoyed that reporters keep asking when the lockdown is going to end, given that 1,000 people a day are dying; more field hospitals/mortuaries are being created and things haven't even peaked yet. Do they really want people travelling all over the country at Easter or the May bank holidays?

Eglantine21 Wed 08-Apr-20 18:58:35

A few days ago one of them said something like “Now not so many people are catching the virus are you lifting the lockdown so that people who are expecting to be able to visit their families at the Easter weekend will be able to, like they usually do.”

I actually thought maybe it was a plant so that they could go ‘What?!” But she seened to be serious.

Eglantine21 Wed 08-Apr-20 19:00:27

I think we’d all appreciate some insightful, to the point questions Ilovecheese

Ilovecheese Wed 08-Apr-20 19:04:52

You are right about that question Eglantine21 there still seems to be a group of people who just do not get the seriousness of this pandemic, perhaps because it is too frightening for them to want to understand. They would rather try to minimise it for their own mental self protection.

Urmstongran Wed 08-Apr-20 19:17:43

Robert bluddy Peston is the worst of the bunch in my opinion. Humming and hawing, looong drawn out presentation, never addressing his questions with any nod to deference of status! He has a very cavalier style ... and when his questions have been answered by the experts he hogs the stage and asks MORE questions. Always.

BBbevan Wed 08-Apr-20 19:21:30

I have given up watching it.

Gingster Wed 08-Apr-20 19:24:01

Totally agree. Tonight a journalist said will the government now apologise for.....this, that and the other. We need to look forward, not keep dwelling on what or hasn’t happened.

sodapop Wed 08-Apr-20 19:25:07

Me too BBbevan I just catch up in the main news bulletin.

Fran3669 Wed 08-Apr-20 19:28:08

Urmstongran You’re not kidding. I can’t stand the man and he drones on and on and on...... If I’ve managed to watch to the point at which he comes on screen I turn off or turn over.

I’ve felt the same way since 2008 when his ‘reporting’ simply made things worse than they already were!

MissAdventure Wed 08-Apr-20 19:28:52

I don't usually watch them at all, but I'm going to have to now, to check out the questions and delivery styles.

SueDonim Wed 08-Apr-20 19:29:14

Ilovecheese What annoys me is that so often the journalists ask the same question that someone else asked five minutes ago. We learn nothing new from it.

I also agree with Eglantine’s point that they’re asking questions about easing the lockdown when we haven’t even reached the peak yet. Experts aren’t fortune tellers, they can make a good guess based on the science but we won’t know until we get there.

Labaik Wed 08-Apr-20 19:39:16

I disagree about the government being asked to apologise for how reactive they have been. I dread to think how many people will die because sporting events weren't cancelled and we had a whole weekend of good weather when people travelled to the seaside/beauty spots. And they have to explain why they were so late trying to obtain test kits or buy ventilators. Whatever is happening they need to be held to account for how slowly they reacted to this pandemic.

Hetty58 Wed 08-Apr-20 19:44:11

Why do so many people still watch it if they find it so irritating? The morning news is quite enough - then you may as well put some music on.

SueDonim Wed 08-Apr-20 19:53:21

I watch it because at the beginning of the whole thing, the statements followed by the questions were good, and you learnt a lot. That’s much less the case now for the questions ,but I suppose I live in hope.

I never have tv on in the mornings, I watch the 5pm update then the 10 o’clock news. Otherwise I keep an eye on the news online.