In normal times, a crisis or a major protest would thrill the press. Commentators would happily write, talk and saturate us with an issue before moving on to the next fresh controversy. Now, however, journalists seem sick of relaying the same arguments and facing the unexpected cold shoulder from central government. 

The coronavirus was said to have peaked in late April, but to the surprise of many, we are still in the early stages of our quarantine. Initially, Prime Minister and government were pulled apart by the media, condemned for missed intelligence meetings, unfeasible targets and distractions, rightfully so. But this momentum was quickly lost when the government displayed its supremacy.

The climax of this consensual onslaught was a few weeks ago, when a frenzy surrounding top government advisor Dominic Cummings occurred. He flouted his own lockdown rules when he travelled the length of the country, lying to and even chastising the press and public. The left leaning Daily Mirror and Guardian collaboratively exposed the Durham jaunt, yet red top tabloids responded angrily when the Daily Mirror called for his unemployment; in turn strengthened by the passionate and critical BBC coverage. 

Over a few days, the mainstream British media were seemingly united, all wrangling to get an answer from Boris Johnson’s uncontrite right hand man and the PM himself. A YouGov poll demonstrated complete public outrage at Cummings, with a significant 59% thinking he should resign and a rather conclusive 71% believing that he had broken lockdown rules. However, there was no apology from Cummings, no remorse or reflection from Boris Johnson who kept defending his ally, despite furious criticism. Cummings was clearly integral to our government; causing the antagonising Mail, Express and Sun’s threat to the Tories to be outweighed by one man’s value. It seems that this was a worthwhile risk, demonstrating the loss of influence the press now has on our leaders.  

Not every voice in the press was more sensible and informed than Boris Johnson or helped to secure the two-week advantage we had over Europe. But, everyone was right to challenge the initial policy of not forcing restaurants and cafes’ to close. Yet, at the time there were plenty of stories undermining the planned closure of the pub, with ‘defiant’ people going out on the last day pubs were open. 

On Good Morning Britain, there has been excessive debate about medical possibilities which though apparently has both entertaining and positive ratings, is speculative, and frames many of the issues around when will this stop affecting us.

Dr Hillary Jones at ITV is right to share their opinion, but the speculative journalism that arose from his comments doesn’t help the survival of businesses or inform the public more comprehensively. Dr Hillary Jones was right to talk about being cautious, saying on Good Morning Britain that pubs reopening too quickly is ‘the opposite of social distancing, it’s social gathering’ trying to avoid the much quoted discussion about waiting till after Christmas. But on the whole, that entire format of this journalism has created a populist, blanket criticism of the government that fails to hit the mark. 

In fact, daytime television is like a dog trying to chase its tail, tirelessly discussing face masks, immunity and vaccines, whilst the rabbit – ongoing political developments, such as EU negotiations – slowly walks past. The problem is that despite their apparent success, circumstantial, television programming has been stuck for too long in this nightmare medical segment. Whilst popular, it is also unable to hold the government accountable.

In the past, newspapers could credibly claim to have won elections, now they would be grateful to claim that they helped end lockdown by even a few days. This month, in the fallout of the Cummings Scandal, wounds have been licked and the press has diverged again. The Telegraph published several articles pressuring the government to quickly end lockdown, with an economic argument. One of their writer’s boldly headlined an article: ‘I refuse to abide by these bonkers rules any longer’, which was a strongly written article piggy-backing The Sun’s own headline, ‘BORIS BANS BONKING!’. 

These headlines – alongside lack of social distancing – are a sign that papers on the right have shifted against government caution.  Print circulation has been recorded to have fallen up to 39% over April. With articles all online, the main problem we face is that different views, some important, are inaccessible due to paywalls. The result of this is that the public are being given more partisan coverage, reflecting their own viewpoint. This therefore worsens our current political differences. Online coverage makes it easier for people to just rely on social media for their news, getting their daily dose of like-minded politics in blithe bites and forgetting about deepening their opinions. 

Listening and engaging with good journalism has never been more important; for example, reading an in-depth medical analysis or thought-provoking features on pressing issues such as Black Lives Matter. The media should be fair on the protesters, rather than whipping up more division through overly selective coverage. They have to be balanced and ought to importantly question the UK’s relationship with race. This is of course not forgetting that this new wave of protests is happening in a time when the majority of Britons are furloughed, jobless and still scared of infection.  The media lost to the government this time; however, trust and readership can be regained if they protect the powerless and remain critical of the powerful. 

Séamus O’Hanlon

Image: Pexels.

Mental Health Week is for everyone. Importantly, it is an opportunity for universities to focus on the welfare of their students. It is a chance to speak out about issues aggregating poor mental health for students: exam stress, financial woes, food poverty and even discrimination. It is also an opportunity for all faculties to promote the fundamental notion that health, and that includes mental health, should be every student’s top priority.

The age-old maxim that ‘as long as you have your health’ has never been as relevant as today, with millions of Britons struggling with the complications and consequences of lockdown. Most are grateful to have their health, but, tragically, not everyone has been lucky. The world has suffered an unprecedented death count, and we have been forced to face loneliness in confinement, confronting our own thoughts. This has been a time of suffering, but it has also been a time of great compassion. A new benchmark of our empathy, it is the time and place for us all to reflect on our most vulnerable, who for years have been battled state confinement, abuse and isolation from the public in psychiatric facilities. 

One year ago, Whorlton Hall in County Durham was the centre of a scandal which evidenced the historic systematic neglect that enabled individual abuse by sadistic carers to patients with learning disabilities and autism. Many patients experienced physical abuse, mockery and lewd behaviour by those entrusted with such a powerful caring role, let in assumedly by care shortages. The BBC Panorama film exposed how these young, innocent people were treated awfully in a generally poor environment, through the brave and courageous investigative journalism of Olivia Davies, who undercover crucially filmed the disturbing incidents.

Just reading the BBC article on it, which outlines the suspension of sixteen staff, would fill anyone with disgust. My worry is that not enough people saw it and are still not fully engaged and aware. The main reason for this documentary’s production was the efforts of the families who were never involved in the application of care as they should have been; had been physically distanced miles away from their loved ones, and were not taken seriously enough. Davies deservedly won the Nick Machin Investigative Journalist award, as her brave filming was extremely valuable. Shot scenes were used by the aghast medical professionals to inspire change, raise awareness, and allow families to be believed.

It is hard to tell sometimes whether a scandal like this was silenced, as the outside view of the Government’s response to this isn’t very defined. It is clear that Cygnet, the private American medical health provider which provides beds for the NHS, is still riddled with problems. The Panorama Special forced the CQC to reassess every Cygnet branch, resulting in six hospitals being currently placed in special measures, including Colchester, Chesterfield and Bradford, which is disheartening, but progress.

If you are personally affected by this issue, then you will be highly aware of it. If not, you likely won’t have a deep understanding of it. The Panorama special focused on longer-term patients who were poorly treated and forgotten about, but the distribution of psychiatric beds in acute cases especially is, as ever, a problem.

In the midst of a pandemic, we have seen the frightening damage a lack of beds causes, yet this chronic problem has been affecting patients who have been involuntarily sectioned for years, pressuring discharge and jeopardizing recovery when people are forced to move across county lines for care. The NHS does not have the beds to cover the increased number of committed mental health patients. Expensive contracts and lack of accountability are forgiven under the ongoing direction of privatisation. However, this unsustainable arrangement is long due revision, to ensure patient safety and prevent further scandal. The physical health capacity of the NHS was shown to be at breaking point, but it’s mental health capacity had already snapped long ago.

It may seem like there is nothing we can do, but, as with all mental health issues, talking about it is truly half the battle. Discussing mental health and feelings alleviates the pressure. Uttering a strange thought aloud can dampen its power, and free CBT resources are helpful to those with multiple diagnoses to those with none.

This week, it should be our duty to broaden Mental Health Awareness Week to those who have been hospitalised by mental health conditions. We need to listen to them. University is often the time of adolescence when serious mental health conditions manifest. Try and discover how life is going for other people, so it can be a place of healing for all.

“These are people that deserve so much more. These are people that aren’t able to speak up for what they deserve. To see how poorly treated they are on a regular basis and how much more they could be having and how much more of a life they could be living. If they weren’t living there.” Olivia Davies

Available on BBC iPlayer. Expires on the 21^st May, 10pm.

Seamus O’Hanlon

Image: Needpix.com

We are living in a country that has mostly adjusted to our new limited freedoms, waiting for the lockdown to be eased and for the right, scientific path to be followed. One of the constructive discoveries is of our reinforced awareness that the high street is still the centre of modern life. The supermarkets are a necessity, but it is abundantly clear that they are no social substitute for a bustling marketplace or a vast, stylish store. Everyone needs some vapid entertainment, to hang out, whether it is a mall or a meal out. When the public inevitably is allowed out to socialise, dine and be at liberty to spend, there will be justified celebration. However, there should also be meaningful reflection.

The past few years have seen a steady trickle of news mourning the death of the high street. Huge brands collapse, institutions even, and the evidence is in broad daylight across from small towns to metropolitan districts. A financial crash and the rise of the internet, with fast fashion and the acceleration from closed shops, as we all know, has drained our communities’ lives. Arcadia’s announcement that over one hundred stores will be closed feels like a final kiss of death. Coronavirus has finally squeezed a consensus out from all politicians about the impact of an underfunded NHS. Where the government fails, the people step up, as has been seen in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Across the country, hospitals are lacking vital PPE equipment, hoovers and costly ventilators. Scarborough has, shockingly, witnessed 564 confirmed cases as of late and has a large, vulnerable old population. Three local florist shops, Flowers of Distinction, Forget Me Not Florist, and Rose Garden Florist, collaborated to produce hundreds of blue bows to be hung on front doors, circumventing around the lack of fresh flowers and raising a staggering amount for the Scarborough Hospital and Cross Lane Hospital. This raised over £3000 on their Go Fund Me page, and much more in person. This is a tremendous achievement that will practically help their local, strained NHS. Actions like these showcase the best of people, demonstrating how small businesses can efficiently mobilise financial aid in a crisis.

The government is vague but firm regarding its condition that for businesses to be compensated, they must be also economically viable. This may seem like common sense, but it will only be fair and effective if the vast differences between small and national corporations are taken into account.  Dire news circulates that over half a million UK businesses face going bust, the bulk of which have under two hundred and fifty employees. Banks have only issued £1.1 billion to small UK firms. This is a scandal. The Chancellor urgently needs to alleviate the pressure all firms face from landlords and exercise common sense by protecting smaller firms with slim profits.

It’s the independent bakeries, florists and tea rooms which local people consistently support. I don’t want to patronise anyone by telling them to choose local, but if we are to reverse our dying high streets then we need to spend wisely. Belts will be tightened with people out of work, but when possible, we should support the small businesses that have proven their community importance of being profitable, vibrant and caring places that we have cherished. Our beloved small shops have nobly volunteered themselves for the NHS. Let us remember this.

Seamus O’Hanlon

Image: Wikimedia Commons.