Very interesting opinion poll published by Gallop in the US last week.
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/321698/covid-responses-men-women.aspx
The really interesting chart is this one
Attitudes and Behaviors Related to COVID-19, by Party and Gender^
What jumps out is the huge difference in attitude towards the current SARs CoV 2 epidemic by political affiliation. Democrats seem to consider SARs CoV 2 as the worst health disaster since the Black Death. While Republicans tend to think its no worse than the Swine flu in 2009.
In recent surveys by Pew and others the biggest single difference between how Democrats and Republicans get their news is that Democrats overwhelming depending on getting their news and information from the MSM (Main Stream Media) and consider the news from these sources as objective and non-partisan. Whereas Republicans tend to get far less of their news from the MSM, and are highly skeptical of its objectivity and quality, and are more likely to get their news from a more diverse range of sources than Democrats
For those unfamiliar with the US media scene the network TV news (ABC/NBC/CBS) and PBS are as left of center as BBC News and Channel 4 News. There is no longer a MSM TV news equivalent of ITN in the US. ABC were the last to abandon any attempt at being middle of the road about 10 years ago. And pretty much all US newspapers, expect for a few like the NYPost, OC Register, and WSJ (maybe) are clones of the Guardian in political world view. There is no equivalent of the Times, Telegraph, Le Figaro, FAZ etc in the US anymore. Its a political monoculture.
How this applies to the UK is I suspect that there is an almost complete correlation between how people in the UK view the current epidemic and their dependence on the BBC as their main source of information. Those totally dependent on the BBC for news and information I strongly suspect are the cowed mask wearing paranoids after many months of brain-washing. Those who dont depend on the BBC or consider it as little more than the TV arm of the Guardian are much more likely to be informed on the subject. And much more skeptical of the official line.
The situation with UK newspapers seems a little more complicated. None seem to be showing any sign of being "courageous" (in the Sir Humphrey meaning of the word) on the subject at the moment. Although the Daily Beast (a.k.a Daily Mail) seem like its trying to play both sides at the moment. I suspect when the true scale of the current debacle becomes obvious to all the Daily Mail will lead the charge to hang draw and quarter all HMG's ministers although this was completely a media driven hysteria from the very beginning.
The true enemy is not the virus. Its the MSM. Which is a very dangerous beast at the moment as so much of it is on its last legs, both financially and with regards to the political clout it has welded for generations.
Excellent summary - certainly confirms my belief that public opinion is totally led by a very small cadre of media bigwigs. TV News and advertising are deeply corrupting influences and should not be allowed near impressionable minds. I am grateful that my father would not let a TV in the house....I have since never felt the need to get one.
Newspapers are a more subtle form of political influence as the bias is generally more honestly stated. That being said the newspaper industry is now totally dependant on state funded advertisements and "advertorials" - the age of editorial discretion is dead - state funded propaganda publication pays the bills for a compliant press . Are there any local newspapers out there actually publishing the truth or even questioning the agenda?
I fear most of the British newspapers have been bought up. A quick flick through the few I read such as the Times at my parents or my parents in law's Daily Mail consist of adverts over half of which are government information ones. Any paper that dares look into this going to have those adverts pulled very quickly.
As for TV news I weaned myself of that 15+ years ago and have felt a lot better informed for doing that although I must admit I still listen to some BBC radio 4 news. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of flicking around the TV channels just as the BBC evening news was on and sat watching it horrified fascination for 5 minutes or so. I have never seen anything as depressing or as obvious propaganda as this. It does I suppose explain the weird panic stricken stressed lunatics I seem to increasing come across when out and about , the poor sods must watch that crap nightly.
You guys obviously aren't looking at the Telegraph which has been far and away the best print daily with a goodly number of reliably sceptical columnists, good coverage of sceptical views and an increasingly sceptical editorial line. Their Planet Normal podcast with Alison Pearson is great. Check it out!
