Give us truth but let’s have good cheer too

ON COUNTLESS occasions on this page I’ve argued forcefully for, and supported journalists in, pursuing the truth with a rigorous and forensic determination. That’s what we’re put on Earth to do: to sit at the back of the room staring quizzically and sometimes snorting derisively as those in power tell us the truth as they see fit to present it. Our role is straightforward: holding to account those in power, however uncomfortable or ugly the consequences might be.

That is why I have considered the words I am about to write many times.

But, I think now is the time to – wherever possible – accentuate the positive and give a nation that feels both beaten-up and downtrodden some rays of sunshine.

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a plea for critical reporting to end. Where the Government has failed or not moved swiftly enough, those events have to be reported in their full, grisly detail. Rather it is a suggestion to my profession to realise the immense sway it has in setting the nation’s mood.

Coverage in some newspapers of the Easter weekend made it look like half the country was defying the restrictions and had raced off to the park or beach. In reality, with a population of 67 million, it is only going to take a fraction of one per cent to make it look like a rebellion was afoot. The opposite was true and, as usual, the Great British public has abided by the draconian demands.

The media, myself included, has rightly focused on the clumsiness of reporting the number of deaths due to coronavirus and the frankly ludicrous move of excluding those who died in residential and care homes. There’s been focus too on the tortoise-like pace of delivering PPE to where it is most desperately required and slowness in getting the number of daily tests to the 100,000 figure promised. But let’s not forget what one of the Government’s initial primary aims was.

It was to prevent the NHS buckling under the strain and, not wishing for a moment to tempt hideous fate, this has been achieved. Unlike in Italy where, faced with similar pressures, their health service did effectively collapse and people died in hospital corridors and ambulances.

Study the news across the globe, and you’ll immediately see the shortage of protective kit is far from a uniquely British problem. Virtually every nation has strug

■ gled including, at first, China where much of it is made! Again, the fact that more than 900,000 pieces of PPE were moved to 58,000 different locations in the UK is not really heard and let’s not forget about the network of Nightingale hospitals that was built by the Army, each of them in a matter of days.

This is not to pretend it has been a story of glittering success. Palpably it hasn’t and, when the time is right, detailed inquiries need to be held and those who failed brought to book. But ask yourself this: why has the nation taken to Captain (now Colonel) Tom Moore with such enthusiasm and dug into their pockets to the tune of more than £30million? It is because

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THEWORLD of campaigning journalism suffered a particularly severe blow when the death of Lynn Fauldswood, right, was announced.this superb reporter worked with my late brother Lino on thetv showwatchdog many years ago, and I’d known her for nearly 40 years. Fearless, forensic and fun, she will be sorely missed and was a champion for consumers in every sense of the word. it is a compelling story of hope, dogged determination, British stoicism in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds and triumph over tragedy.

Contrast that with the spectacularly misjudged Panorama “investigation” last week which sought to savage the Government over its care of the NHS through the crisis.the programme featured interviews with at least five Labour activists – including one who in an election tried to run for Labour against Boris Johnson – who were allowed to pillory the Government, yet not once were their political leanings mentioned.

So much for BBC balance, eh?

People need to be uplifted – and even laugh. Remember, during the war newspapers still ran cartoons and the radio comedy show ITMA – It’s That Man Again – reportedly came of age and delighted millions, including many in the military.

Let the robust reporting continue, without fear or favour... but also without forgetting there are reasons to be cheerful, too.

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NEW health service guidance suggests all NHS black, Asian and minority (BAME) staff should be “risk-assessed” and possibly moved from the front line as research shows they seem more susceptible to the virus.

While BAME people account for around nine per cent of the nation’s population, the same group makes up 20 per cent of the NHS’S 1.3 million workforce.

This advice has to be carefully considered but, candidly, the impact could be huge as I can’t remember the last time I was in a hospital and didn’t see someone from this group, from cleaner to consultant.

Can you?