KEEP YOUR DISTANCE...

ON the subject of Covid-19, on Monday, the US news network CNN pre-empted the World Health Organisation and declared coronavirus ‘a pandemic’. The next night, as six Democratic primaries were under way, Anderson Cooper anchored a panel to discuss the Biden v Sanders contest, with eight contributors at the same desk (pictured left), not even one metre apart, never mind two. Ditto on The Tonight Show with Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates on Virgin Media One – in fact, even the two hosts sit too close together. If we’re going to get the social distancing message out, we should lead by example and ensure that on every panel show there is ample distance between everyone, even if it means having half the usual number of guests. Optics matter, now more than ever.