Journalism needs its own post-COVID inquiry
Yesterday’s session with former UK government advisor Dominic Cummingsbefore a seven-hour joint session of the Commons Heath, and Science and Technology committees dominated my Twitter feed, many of my podcasts and, if I was to be honest, a significant chunk of my own attention.
Lurking in the background, but easily forgotten in the rush to cover and discuss the big UK politics story of the day, was that they were looking into how government made decisions that had consequences for the lives of everyone in the country. And, more to the point, that they were failing to make decisions in a way that quite possibly cost thousands of lives.
It wasn’t just today’s story. It was something that was unpicking a period of time that had profound consequences for many.
Those of us who got Covid bad aren’t watching this stuff with Cummings as if it’s a Westminster soap opera. This is why we nearly died and thousands more did.
How much of the reporting reflected that? Some sites rose to the challenge. For example, Kate Proctor contextualised it…
