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The Irish media hysteria

RunningFlyer

Forgive me for starting a thread if one already exists - I’ve read so many different threads and posts I’ve probably missed the obvious however...

It seems everyone is waiting daily for the 6pm figures to find out the latest cases and deaths situation. It’s scary to see how every single media outlet in this country is putting all their attention on this (yes, gloom sells). Not just RTE, but the other stations and every single paper has the latest on the front page in some form or another.

Contrast this to European media - search any of the national news channels or newspapers and you’ll find its never (usually) the top story. They are over the initial panic and are I guess realise they are in for the long haul with this virus.

People here are only obsessed with three things; deaths, cases and the “R” number. I’m not a Statistician or epidemiologist but a few weeks ago when there was concern and hype raised over the R number increasing beyond 1 on the basis of 20 odd cases or so made me completely lose faith in the strategy of the government/NPHET. 10mins reading about R numbers will prove it’s not an effective measurement with low numbers yet this was peddled across the media.

The fear-mongering of the Irish media is seriously starting to affect the mental health of the population - I’m sure everyone has witnessed it on a personal level either themselves or their friends/family. If you’re get stressed I highly recommend deleting the news apps, distract yourself around 6pm when you know the figures will be released, and try enjoy the last of the long days and sunshine because if the current media narrative continues, it’s going to be a miserable winter.

Ireland needs to evolve from our sheepish culture and learn to think outside the box and make our own opinions of matters. The media need to tone down the hysteria and the government need to realise this virus is here to stay so have to start making some difficult decisions against the ultra-conservative NPHET advice to safeguard the country.

Thoughts?

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Chivito550

Jim2007 wrote: »

Well you’d first have to produce some factual evidence of Irish public health officials benefiting from this before I’d even begin to take you seriously.

Are Sam McKonkey, Luke O'Neill etc offering their many media appearances free of charge?

Coillte_Bhoy

Chivito550 wrote: »

Health "expert" public figures personally benefitting from pushing a narrative that is ruining other people's lives, nope I don't agree with that.

Well the alternative argument is that the narrative is about saving lives. Why the "'s around expert?? A bit Michael Govesque

thebaz

Faugheen wrote: »

Exactly, he had clear reasoning behind it. While everyone else was being cautious on it he specifically said the science is being ignored.

That is a balanced view, in my book, and the EMA judgement backed him up.

Glad to hear someone questioned, the complete lack of urgency to re-start AZ vaccinatios - we are way behind on vaccinations, the leaks coming out were that EMA had deemed AZ safe on Tuesday , yet the people had to wait until late on Friday to get official response/ok. No dynamic action by HSE, when we have been in a 12 month pandemic, with a never-ending lockdown.

Jim2007

Chivito550 wrote: »

Health "expert" public figures personally benefitting from pushing a narrative that is ruining other people's lives, nope I don't agree with that.

Well you’d first have to produce some factual evidence of Irish public health officials benefiting from this before I’d even begin to take you seriously.

Chivito550

Faugheen wrote: »

So no one person should be benefitting from this?

Nobody at all? Nobody who was able to transform their business to deal with the pandemic?

That's absolutely ridiculous. Loads of people have benefitted from the pandemic when a lot of people have lost their jobs. If everyone decided to give up because of everyone else then we wouldn't have an economy to go back to.

Health "expert" public figures personally benefitting from pushing a narrative that is ruining other people's lives, nope I don't agree with that.

Faugheen

Chivito550 wrote: »

I don't believe people should be personally benefiting out of all this, when so many people's lives have been ruined.

So no one person should be benefitting from this?

Nobody at all? Nobody who was able to transform their business to deal with the pandemic?

That's absolutely ridiculous. Loads of people have benefitted from the pandemic when a lot of people have lost their jobs. If everyone decided to give up because of everyone else then we wouldn't have an economy to go back to.

Faugheen

is_that_so wrote: »

Not too balanced on the AZ pause of last week, despite the clear reasoning behind it.

Exactly, he had clear reasoning behind it. While everyone else was being cautious on it he specifically said the science is being ignored.

That is a balanced view, in my book, and the EMA judgement backed him up.

Chivito550

Faugheen wrote: »

So because he made a name for himself with his fair, balanced contributions to COVID-19, people then looked into him and what he did, and found out he was in a band.

Why should he turn it down? He's not a member of NPHET, he's clearly a very outgoing man whom a lot of people have grown to like over the course of the last year.

Sounds like you're just begrudging him, if I'm honest.

I don't believe people should be personally benefiting out of all this, when so many people's lives have been ruined.

lee_baby_simms

Chivito550 wrote: »

Embracing celebrity status. Playing guitar on NYE special. Standing in that ridiculous bubble thing on Claire Byrne Live.

None of us (outside of those who work in related fields) should know who these people are. The fact they've become celebrities is so depressing.

He puts on a kind of disarming, everyman act...usually as he’s floating ideas that trample over basic civil liberties...

Laughing away saying “this is great!” as he’s inside a plastic “zorb” holding up a sign saying “I need to pee”, throwing out the idea of unremovable body tags to show you’re vaccinated etc.

is_that_so

Faugheen wrote: »

So because he made a name for himself with his fair, balanced contributions to COVID-19, people then looked into him and what he did, and found out he was in a band.

Why should he turn it down? He's not a member of NPHET, he's clearly a very outgoing man whom a lot of people have grown to like over the course of the last year.

Sounds like you're just begrudging him, if I'm honest.

Not too balanced on the AZ pause of last week, despite the clear reasoning behind it. I think he's a bit of a Tigger, the positivity is welcome but sometimes exuberantly so.

Faugheen

Chivito550 wrote: »

Embracing celebrity status. Playing guitar on NYE special. Standing in that ridiculous bubble thing on Claire Byrne Live.

None of us (outside of those who work in related fields) should know who these people are. The fact they've become celebrities is so depressing.

So because he made a name for himself with his fair, balanced contributions to COVID-19, people then looked into him and what he did, and found out he was in a band.

Why should he turn it down? He's not a member of NPHET, he's clearly a very outgoing man whom a lot of people have grown to like over the course of the last year.

Sounds like you're just begrudging him, if I'm honest.

Chivito550

Faugheen wrote: »

What has Luke O'Neill done wrong?

I think he's the only one who has looked for any kind of positivity and hope in his contributions, as well as actually trying to explain what everything means.

What ever about the rest of them but Luke O'Neill being a 'disgrace' I think is really harsh.

Embracing celebrity status. Playing guitar on NYE special. Standing in that ridiculous bubble thing on Claire Byrne Live.

None of us (outside of those who work in related fields) should know who these people are. The fact they've become celebrities is so depressing.

Faugheen

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE has been an utter disgrace throughout this pandemic, as have many of our so called experts, Luke O'Neill, Sam McConkey, Tomas Ryan (a neuroscientist) and the utterly demented Jerry Killeen who stated recently on Prime Time that he had lived through 4 pandemics and personally ended two of them. Was not even questioned on that statement. If he said he helped St Patrick banish the snakes, Claire Byrne would ask him which snakes we had in 5th century Ireland. Shows you how bad they are.

Utterly terrible.

What has Luke O'Neill done wrong?

I think he's the only one who has looked for any kind of positivity and hope in his contributions, as well as actually trying to explain what everything means.

What ever about the rest of them but Luke O'Neill being a 'disgrace' I think is really harsh.

Chivito550

thisNthat wrote: »

What about the amazing George Lee in RTE?
An expert in absolutely everything.... :rolleyes:
but will not, under any circumstance, allow any bit of positive news to be heard.
Number dropping, oh its very worrying...
ICU numbers at their lowest in months, oh its very worrying...
I personally feel RTE have lost whatever bit of credibility they had left.
There are a few who are worth their pay like Micheál Lehane and one or two more but the rest are nothing more than a glorified bunch of grossly overpaid incompetent journalists.

They aren't journalists. They are PR workers and spokespeople.

thisNthat

Deleted User wrote: »

RTE has been an utter disgrace throughout this pandemic, as have many of our so called experts, Luke O'Neill, Sam McConkey, Tomas Ryan (a neuroscientist) and the utterly demented Jerry Killeen who stated recently on Prime Time that he had lived through 4 pandemics and personally ended two of them. Was not even questioned on that statement. If he said he helped St Patrick banish the snakes, Claire Byrne would ask him which snakes we had in 5th century Ireland. Shows you how bad they are.

Utterly terrible.

What about the amazing George Lee in RTE?
An expert in absolutely everything.... :rolleyes:
but will not, under any circumstance, allow any bit of positive news to be heard.
Number dropping, oh its very worrying...
ICU numbers at their lowest in months, oh its very worrying...
I personally feel RTE have lost whatever bit of credibility they had left.
There are a few who are worth their pay like Micheál Lehane and one or two more but the rest are nothing more than a glorified bunch of grossly overpaid incompetent journalists.

[Deleted User]

Richard Hillman wrote: »

There are 2 countries that we tend to mimic, Britain and the U.S. We've mimicked Britain for Lockdown rules but conveniently took our eyes off the U.S. The rest of Europe the media have ignored bar the rules that would increase Irelands Lockdown like Curfews.

The media will have nowhere to turn when the UK reopens.

RTE has been an utter disgrace throughout this pandemic, as have many of our so called experts, Luke O'Neill, Sam McConkey, Tomas Ryan (a neuroscientist) and the utterly demented Jerry Killeen who stated recently on Prime Time that he had lived through 4 pandemics and personally ended two of them. Was not even questioned on that statement. If he said he helped St Patrick banish the snakes, Claire Byrne would ask him which snakes we had in 5th century Ireland. Shows you how bad they are.

Utterly terrible.

Richard Hillman

Diarmuid wrote: »

There is an overnight curfew which you can break for a whole bunch of reasons that you self certify with your phone

For this weekend and last, in two counties (out of 90) there's a 5km restriction. For 4 days. Not like the 6 months you are experiencing in Ireland. It may be extended but history shows that if they do extend it, it will be for a very limited period of time

I've been in France since Christmas. It's a million miles from the Irish experience. Both the restrictions, the attitude and the government response. Far more freedom in France

We have discussed the Ireland v France attitude with Irish expat friends here. They generally don't discuss their daily lives with friends back home because of the Irish attitude. Telling someone back home that you called to your friends for lunch or went hiking in the mountains would require the Irish breaking out the smelling salts, not to mention the tut-tutting. The Irish really do not realise how restricted life is at home relative to our European neighbours

There are 2 countries that we tend to mimic, Britain and the U.S. We've mimicked Britain for Lockdown rules but conveniently took our eyes off the U.S. The rest of Europe the media have ignored bar the rules that would increase Irelands Lockdown like Curfews.

The media will have nowhere to turn when the UK reopens.

bladespin

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Ok we’ll listen to you instead, what do you want to do ?

Why is this the generic response when someone doesn't take the general media's word for something?

If someone suggests you shop around for home insurance do you immediately challenge them to quote?

the kelt

Diarmuid wrote: »

There is an overnight curfew which you can break for a whole bunch of reasons that you self certify with your phone

For this weekend and last, in two counties (out of 90) there's a 5km restriction. For 4 days. Not like the 6 months you are experiencing in Ireland. It may be extended but history shows that if they do extend it, it will be for a very limited period of time

I've been in France since Christmas. It's a million miles from the Irish experience. Both the restrictions, the attitude and the government response. Far more freedom in France

We have discussed the Ireland v France attitude with Irish expat friends here. They generally don't discuss their daily lives with friends back home because of the Irish attitude. Telling someone back home that you called to your friends for lunch or went hiking in the mountains would require the Irish breaking out the smelling salts, not to mention the tut-tutting. The Irish really do not realise how restricted life is at home relative to our European neighbours

Totally, had this discussion on here before.

The amount of people who actually think “well it could be worse, we don’t have a curfew” who don’t actually understand what that curfew means in reality compared to what we have is scary!

They’re generally the ones who think we really don’t have many restrictions, sure I went to a shop today.

KanyeSouthEast

Diarmuid wrote: »

There is an overnight curfew which you can break for a whole bunch of reasons that you self certify with your phone

For this weekend and last, in two counties (out of 90) there's a 5km restriction. For 4 days. Not like the 6 months you are experiencing in Ireland. It may be extended but history shows that if they do extend it, it will be for a very limited period of time

I've been in France since Christmas. It's a million miles from the Irish experience. Both the restrictions, the attitude and the government response. Far more freedom in France

We have discussed the Ireland v France attitude with Irish expat friends here. They generally don't discuss their daily lives with friends back home because of the Irish attitude. Telling someone back home that you called to your friends for lunch or went hiking in the mountains would require the Irish breaking out the smelling salts, not to mention the tut-tutting. The Irish really do not realise how restricted life is at home relative to our European neighbours

Paddy knows best.

Diarmuid

TonyMaloney wrote: »

According to that list France has much lighter restrictions than we do.
They have a 6pm to 6am curfew in place nationwide. And will do for another 4 to 6 weeks.

Ranking the severity of various lockdowns isn't straightforward, and that Stringency Index does a particularly bad job of it I think.

There is an overnight curfew which you can break for a whole bunch of reasons that you self certify with your phone

For this weekend and last, in two counties (out of 90) there's a 5km restriction. For 4 days. Not like the 6 months you are experiencing in Ireland. It may be extended but history shows that if they do extend it, it will be for a very limited period of time

I've been in France since Christmas. It's a million miles from the Irish experience. Both the restrictions, the attitude and the government response. Far more freedom in France

We have discussed the Ireland v France attitude with Irish expat friends here. They generally don't discuss their daily lives with friends back home because of the Irish attitude. Telling someone back home that you called to your friends for lunch or went hiking in the mountains would require the Irish breaking out the smelling salts, not to mention the tut-tutting. The Irish really do not realise how restricted life is at home relative to our European neighbours

Ash.J.Williams

Silentcorner wrote: »

Can you not figure out how to think for yourself, too much to ask?

I’m grand

Silentcorner

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Ok we’ll listen to you instead, what do you want to do ?

Can you not figure out how to think for yourself, too much to ask?

Ash.J.Williams

Silentcorner wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fears-cork-anti-lockdown-protest-could-be-super-spreader-event-40164807.html

Cork protest could be super spreader.

It was the mass protests that were welcomed by political establishments across the world in particular the US that for me determined how seriously to actually take the threat of this virus, here we are 8 months later and the tune is different.

If you still trust media outlets remember, they think you are stupid, don't prove them right is my advice.

Ok we’ll listen to you instead, what do you want to do ?

Silentcorner

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fears-cork-anti-lockdown-protest-could-be-super-spreader-event-40164807.html

Cork protest could be super spreader.

It was the mass protests that were welcomed by political establishments across the world in particular the US that for me determined how seriously to actually take the threat of this virus, here we are 8 months later and the tune is different.

If you still trust media outlets remember, they think you are stupid, don't prove them right is my advice.

bucketybuck

BPKS wrote: »

They would tell you just to stream it at home.

Burning cinemas aren't Covid so they would not do or tell you anything.

Only Covid Matters.

Deusexmachina

TonyMaloney wrote: »

I don't know about you, but I regularly go out after 6pm. Whether it's shopping, playing with my son or just flooting about.
I find the thought of being required or even sent home very unpleasant, and completely at odds with what we're experiencing.

Anyway, you think France's experience is close enough to ours. Ok fine, but my point was that Stringency Index suggests their experience is a lot less stringent, when as you say, it clearly is not.

I have a friend living in France. No way are their restrictions anywhere near ours. He is shocked by ours.

Boggles

ecoli3136 wrote: »

I pointed out that it was NPHET that chose to "issue an alert" as to a "possible connection" between COVID-19 infections and miscarriage/still birth.

Did NPHET issue an alert?

As I understand it the first time Glynn heard anything about it was when the HSPC published their figures.

The 2 coroners who preformed the 4 post mortem's contacted the HSE themselves and made them aware who would have then made the relevant departments aware.

What Glynn did was reasonably explain the factual data he was presented with.

[Deleted User]

aido79 wrote: »

Are you saying NPHET shouldn't have issued that alert and should have kept the information to themselves?
Or just that the media shouldn't have reported it?

The post to which I replied placed emphasis on the media as driving this story. I pointed out that it was NPHET that chose to "issue an alert" as to a "possible connection" between COVID-19 infections and miscarriage/still birth.

Thankfully, medical professionals independent of NPHET have now come out to assuage the baseless fears engendered by NPHET.

It's not binary in the manner your questions are loaded to suggest. If NPHET felt it necessary to "issue an alert" it was incumbent, as a responsible public authority, to provide full information. Their failure to do so was presumably deliberate, or incompetent (now, that one is binary).

aido79

ecoli3136 wrote: »

I'm not being funny but did you miss where it was reported that NPHET issued an alert to HSE maternity staff?

Are you saying NPHET shouldn't have issued that alert and should have kept the information to themselves?
Or just that the media shouldn't have reported it?