Fake news and a comedy of errors
DARK days frequently inspire a sense of gallows humour and it’s time to raise a hand and admit during times of crisis some of the worst offenders of inappropriate laugh-out loud moments are joking journalists. Sorry.
Politically insensitive and sometimes downright cruel, it is an acknowledgement that even the most organised civilised world frequently derails and humour helps get over sometimes truly shocking things called facts. In short, it helps preserve sanity (other guilty professions include the military, police, and health peeps) and provides a level of comforting armour to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Hard news makes shocking headlines, fills newspapers, launches a search for the truth...and frequently triggers newsroom giggles; again I apologise it is in terrible taste but it really is from an infectious theatre of the absurd that never closes come hell or high water...or the odd pandemic.
Once pigeon-holed as ‘cub reporter’ - now too grey around the chops - one of the early lessons in newspaper life was a Blackadder-type warning that the editor was not at home to a certain Mr Cock-up...but like the BBC comedy and despite rigorous research and promises of a photo ahead of deadline, Mr Cock-up was often found knocking at the door. Hilarious for hardened hacks, but if the Ed was looking your way at the key moment; the secret was to look seriously professionally in pain.
The Covid-19 global emergency has underlined the need for real journalism of the old school. It is an age-old contract going back to the dawn of the printing press, reporters report the facts (the clue’s in the name) and readers trust the facts are as correct as can be established by said deadline; aka ‘before the paper goes to bed’.
Back at the headquarters of CBN (a secret address unknown to Mr Cock-up obviously), the red front page banner promising full coverage of local coronavirus restrictions, explanations of the new normality rules, and a helping hand for the vulnerable is soon to be dropped. Hopefully, it is ‘job done’ - although ongoing Covid news will still be covered in the paper in its print and online forms.
However, Covid-19 has also infected a world packed with fake news with an epidemic of pandemic untruths. A mischievous campaign mounted by General Misinformation and his invading cohorts.
It is now universally accepted the novel coronavirus started as a cross-over from the animal kingdom into the human world. It seems likely it was in a wet market in downtown China - or possibly an escape from a lab studying the problem - rather than a biological death ray.
Experiment
Fake news has also brought us ‘proof ’ it was a weapon of mass destruction experiment in the US of A or France; footballer Cristiano Ronaldo had tested positive and the Pope was also a victim.
Back at the start of lockdown, panic buying was fuelled by predicted shortages of toilet tissue (older generations reminisced about the days of outside loos and a use for old sheets of cut up newspaper) by mysterious correspondents.
Fake news also helps gives credence to wonderfully dramatic conspiracy theories. A friend in Wuhan or an uncle in Beijing are typical of the sort of source used made in the fairytales - arms length references and a lack of time and place. The failure of the ‘who, what, where, when, and why’ test is often a good clue.
Often it is harmless and can be very amusing. During the health emergency there has also been the false cure, the ‘snake oil’ being touted that could have a serious side affect called Death - the fish-tank cleaning agent recommended to kill Covid an example.
Fake news has become so contagious during our plague year that Europol even stepped in explain the phenomenon, its potential repercussions and how to filter the good from the bad; even how to break the chain.
It can be difficult at times; especially those when the most powerful man in the free world is apparently condoning a swig of Dettol as good medicine - as well as promising the United States was hours from discovering a vaccine. Our good friend Donald even assured potential supporters not only did a modern day iron curtain along the border stop illicit immigration...it stopped coronavirus too.
Government figures in general try and put a spin on things, positive or negative depending on the target. It is what politicians do and frequently shoot themselves in the foot. This week the daily Downing Street briefing came to an end, ‘Hancock’s half hour’ was retired; why did it constantly set itself impossible targets?
Things have improved, the new normality is upon us in Spain and hopefully, soon, Covid-19 will be on the canvas. Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Press is still battling on, the besieged fourth estate still hard at work.