By Gabriel Princewill-
Constant media coverage of Covid-19 deaths, was a turn-off to a wide section of the British public, according to research conducted by The Eye of Media.Com.
A number of Brits spoken to expressed concern that the daily news coverage of Covid-19 deaths statistics reported for many months since the height of the pandemic were too morbid, and mentally tormenting.
Moderate reminders may have been necessary, some of those surveyed said, but not the constant hammering and bombardment, since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
Everyday news of deaths from Covid-19 was deemed fearmongering by many members of the public, a perception that the British media was deliberately stoking the fears of the public.
Yet, in an unprecedented time in history, where the whole world was affected by the pandemic, news of high death rates was impossible to ignore. The statistics of fatalities were so grim, it had to be highlighted for the full impact to be felt.
Some editors spoken to by this publication said they considered it necessary at the time to keep the public abreast with the enormity of the pandemic, as they received updates of the grim situation facing the UK.
It was imperative to keep the public adequately informed of the calamitous effect of an unknown virus, and emphasise the need to save lives.
Research
Of the 1,500 people spoken to over a 3 week period between 14th December and 7th January, 2 .5% (37)said, has been admittedly inevitable on the grounds of reportedly high hospitalisation rates. There have also been concerns around compliance to the rules of restrictions; but Britons love their freedom. They love the pubs; they love eating out, and the white sands of the beaches are beckoning enticingly in the summer months.
62 % (930) of respondents said they had not been able to fully trust the government, right from the early weeks of the pandemic in March 2020.
Reference was made by 1% (17) of those surveyed, to the likes of the former Supreme Court judge, Lord Sumption, who lambasted the Derby police and the government for restrictions relating to Covid in March
In his fury, Lord Sumption even encouraged civil disobedience, which raised eyebrows in some quarters. some respondents cited his disapproval as evidence that Covid-19 restrictions were too strict and unreasonable.
The out-spoken former judge criticised the government yet again in October, for deliberate fear stoking over Covid on a scale he said was never previously attempted. Last month, Lord Sumption told our organisation that lockdowns are a destruction of generations.
45% of those surveyed (675) expressed wariness of the news outfits, particularly the tv channels. The wariness seems to take increasing ground, along with the impact of lockdowns and conflicting information everywhere around Covid vaccines. A number of people, particularly in london, made reference to past exaggerated Covid-19 death rates, as some of the reasons they were not taking lockdown rules seriously.
52% (782) of those questioned about the effect of ongoing Covifd-19 coverage said there wasn’t a balanced spread of news topics during in 2020.
An interesting contribution from just over 5% of people spoken to (77) raised concerns that the government’s recent decision to engage the services of an Ex ITV journalist, Allegra Stratton, was a potential sign the government was trying to gain media support to endorse its guidelines. There is no evidence to support that view,
The above group were responding to specific questions about the role of the media in reporting the pandemic, after just four of those spoken had made mentioned the idea at the early stage of the research.
”Fear can become an instrument for subjugation and frustration They must rethink this strategy. It is counter- productive” said Mischelle Adamson, a psychologist from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.
Essential
Some members of the public found the daily reporting of death rates necessary. 31 % (467)of those spoken to expressed the daily Covid reporting as essential news to keep the public informed and cautious. It is unclear whether this group consists of those who take possible pathological pleasure from curiosity mixed with fear or are simply pragmatic or even nonchalant.
Overall Evaluation
60% of those questioned (900)felt the continuous coverage of Covid-19 deaths was excessive, and needed to have some respite. Useful comments coming from many who thought the coverage was excessive included views that the media could have some gaps in morbid reporting, and focus from time to time on various other stories.
Contributions from 1% of those surveyed(17), suggested a distribution of morbid news between television, radio, and newspapers, rather than all three constantly highlighting morbid news, considering the potential mental health consequences on vulnerable viewers..
35% of those spoken(525) said they felt the coverage was necessary, and an important way of keeping people conscious of the dangers of the virus.
50% of those questioned about the effect of ongoing Covifd-19 coverage said there wasn’t a balanced spread of news topics during in 2020.
Head of quality control, Victoria Mckeown said: ” What we have found is that although there are many people who acknowledge the importance of informing the public about the news, in order to inform their actions and raise awareness, there are a growing number of people who find the news appalling and disgusting to watch”.
”More people were saying it was a convenient replacement of Brexit which was previously dominating the news They said that the fact Brexit became totally overshadowed by the pandemic, is evidence that no single topic needs to dominate the news for long. The media can do a lot more to spread news topics more evenly, instead of focusing on depressing news day in, day out”.
There is no dispute that the numbers of people dying from a pandemic is important news, but critics have lambasted the idea of using the figures of the dead as news headline to attract clicks, when they could simply title their news piece in the context of proportional increases in deaths , allowing those who want to click, to do so.
Recommendations
This publication is recommending news outlets to be extra sensitive in the manner of reporting Covid-19 death counts arising from the pandemic on the news. The media must be mindful of the potential mental health effects frequent reporting of very high Covid-19 deaths can have on vulnerable members of the public.
Inevitable
It will sometimes be inevitable for high death counts to be covered by the media, but it is advisable for such reporting to be relatively sparing, so that the frequency of such reports are minimised.
In light of the admission by the government in June 2020, that covid 19 deaths were exaggerated, the media also has a responsibility confirm the accuracy of the news they report.
Popular and reputable U.S news channel CNN, have also been criticised for emblazoning the number of deaths in the U.S on their screen. The U.S broadcaster’s daily featuring of death rates has been to emphasise the seriousness of the pandemic to the American public, but may have also had the effect of exacerbating the mental health of many of its committed viewers, not just in America, but also in the UK.