GSD: “Shocking Media Manipulation By Government”
The GSD has issued a statement accusing the Government of manipulating the media.
A statement from the GSD follows below:
The confirmation by GBC that the Government were considering a proposal to allow a private media crew into hospital and ERS to produce “vetted images” of the pandemic during lockdown but had refused GBC access to the same facilities for independent sensitive reporting smacks of manipulation of the media and news given to the public of the worst kind. According to the report the refusal to allow GBC access was a political decision and not a public health one.
This issue raises deep questions as to State interference and control of the debate on any important issue of public interest whether it is the pandemic, the stalling McGrail Inquiry, the presentation of public contracts or other important issues. The hallmark of this Government over the last 10 years is that it has been supremely sensitive of public presentation or any criticism on social media to the point that policies are driven reactively by Facebook. This is about its usual obsession with controlling the message and any possible criticism.
Additionally if public health authorities were prepared to consider allowing a private media crew access to facilities it brings into sharp focus the dogged refusal to allow unvaccinated individuals access to see their loved ones even if fully wearing PPE and taking a negative COVID test beforehand.
Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi said: “The shocking news today that the Government was prepared to consider access to people who had no reason to be on the facilities other than to produce vetted, controlled and manipulated images of the pandemic but that families were not being allowed on the facilities at the same time is a shocking reminder of the massive contradictions of this Government and their obsession to control the news given to people. This is a Government obsessed with spin and control of the air waves. This is only the latest example of a style of Government that pervades all other issues and sectors in which the Government wants to tightly control any message on any issue so it can present its facts to the public on the basis that its performance is never under question. This instance is not an isolated example. This is also a further contradiction in the Government’s attitude towards unvaccinated citizens who are unfairly being left behind when we are at zero resident cases and the circumstances no longer justify these controls. The GSD will continue to speak up for these families who are being given unnecessary anxiety for pig-headed political decisions by Mr Picardo.”
