Do the media make things worse? TV and newspapers keep showing empty shelves in supermarkets. But what about supermarkets that are well stocked (and not shown on TV)? What is your experience? And what about the small shops such as Sunny Foods and Arkwright? Share your impressions and experiences about what you see on TV and how it compares with what you actually observe?
Florence Road Neighbourhood Group
Florence Road Neighbourhood Group
The website for members of Florence Road Neighbourhood Group
HubertS says
I am fed up with all the negative news. Why do we not hear about the all the good things that are happening? I go for a walk or jog every day. Literally everybody I have seen in the street, on the pavement or in the park keeps the recommended distance – often with a smile or a hello. My neighbours help us with the shopping (we are self-isolating because we are over 70) and every time they shop for us they come back with what we ask for (or a good substitute). And they tell us that the supermarket was well stocked. As far as I know, all self-isolating people in our road are well supported for shopping etc. These are things that should be more prominent in the news. It would help to raise morale. And perhaps it would help to make the few anti-social people realise what they are doing. Negative news on empty shelves and clubbing people give them excuses for stockpiling and not caring about others.
MarkR says
I think the media have been making things worse by effectively ‘normalising’ situations. So yes, showing just empty shelves causes everyone to panic buy. But in a subtler way they are undermining the government messages, especially about social distancing, when they just show crowded parks, trains, beaches, etc., because if they are the only images one sees that unconsciously becomes the ‘normal’ whatever the commentary says about it being wrong.