Daily Mail Virus Hypocrisy

After alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, in a rare moment of candour, told the country yesterday “Some people compare it to seasonal flu, alas that is not right. Owing to the lack of immunity, this disease is more dangerous. It is going to spread further and I must level with you, I must level with the British public, many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time”, the press had a problem.

Many of those who would be departing before their time were loyal readers of the same papers that had for so long been shamelessly cheerleading for Bozo The Clown. Now, as their readers searched for reassurance, all he was offering them was a visit from the Grim Reaper, and most likely sooner rather than later. What to do?

Well, if you were the Daily Mail, it was obvious: strike a suitably sombre editorial tone, but say that Bozo Was Right. So it was that readers were told “As Mr Johnson says, we are on a hard road but together we will see off this crisis. However, for that to happen, everyone in the country must play their part”. Patriotic music plays us out! Chicken Paté News!

So what was the hated BBC doing? Mark di Stefano, now at the FT, told that “In email to staff, BBC director general Tony Hall writes: ‘We have to prepare for the long haul... we're doing some careful scenario planning... and we must of course protect our services’ - Employees not told to [work from home] yet - Nothing pulled from air yet - Keep calm etc”.

And he noted more of that Daily Mail editorial. “Now, from the Daily Mail's leader today: ‘Striking the right tone at this press conference was not easy, but Boris and his boffins carried it off well. At this stage, we must trust their judgment and do as they say.’” But the Mail was speaking with forked tongue, and there was discontent in the ranks.

Di Stefano again: “In an internal email detailing coronavirus response which includes restricting travel and [work from home] provisions, the Daily Mail's head of HR writes - ‘The global position is moving so fast that the official government advice is no longer adequate enough to safeguard our staff’”. Corporal Doctor Jones says Don’t Panic!

So the paper is telling readers one thing, while doing something very different. And it gets worse: if the Mail’s head of HR really wanted to “safeguard our staff”, they wouldn’t be sending them to places where they could become infected with Covid-19. Like the houses of self-isolating MPs who had already tested positive for it.

Because, after (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries told “If you want to know how low a journalist can go, [Daily Mail] on my doorstep in the middle of my trying to deal with everything else. He opened the gate, knocked on the door, rang the bell. I hope he washes his hands”, it’s clear that is exactly what the Mail has been doing.

It has always been a thing of wonder to see otherwise rational human beings manage to hold two different positions at once. Now the Daily Mail has managed to hold three.

All of which demonstrates the flexibility that can be bought with bigger paycheques.

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