Journalism and truth
I think we're all accustomed to exaggeration and selection of facts by the media - there's a general cynicism in the UK. People still run with the narratives of the media when it suits them of course, but this is human nature. The totally unproven story about patients drinking from vases, and the story of the judicial review that never was, were both repeated by Julie Bailey to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Inquiries Act. Even the Telegraph had to print an apology when repeating the vase story, accepting that Francis had not heard any direct evidence about this and so came to no conclusion. The Independent showed its ignorance of both hospital wards and horticulture when it proclaimed today that patients were forced to drink from plant pots. Every gardener knows that plant pots have drainage holes, making drinking from them nigh impossible.
What is quite unfathomable are the remarks of Shaun Lintern, where he concedes that there have been inaccuracies in the national media coverage of Mid Staffs, but then goes on to say that the coverage was fair and justified!
What is quite unfathomable are the remarks of Shaun Lintern, where he concedes that there have been inaccuracies in the national media coverage of Mid Staffs, but then goes on to say that the coverage was fair and justified!
- @ShaunLintern @Eltonfoo @Rowan_Draper the whole thing was sensationalised. It's what the media does.
- @ShaunLintern @Claros00 @Eltonfoo @Rowan_Draper No! the truth is what should be reported, facts matter
Shaun Lintern 
Rowan Draper 
Eleanor Tristram 
Claros 
Rich Duffy @duffy66_rich @Claros00 @Eltonfoo @Rowan_Draper And mostly it was. Yes there was some inaccuracy but doesnt mean trust was unfairly treated.
He also claims that actually the "sensationalist" reporting was not as bad as the reality (which brings into question Shaun's understanding of the term "sensational"). He also believes that factual reporting of details neutralizes the erroneous headlines. It's well recognized that this is not the case - the brain remembers information without remembering the source, and so the shrieking headlines become embedded in the mind as "fact".
- @ShaunLintern the press havent printed Francis tho, have they?? Gen. Public haven't read Francis?? Potential staff may not have read it all?
@Eltonfoo Francis 1 & 2 got wall to wall coverage with many of the details accurately reported. There's been 100s of 1000s of words printed
Gabriel Scally @Claros00 @DocInsanity @Eltonfoo @GabrielScally This is a common accusation levelled at me. Please point to an eg where I am biased please?
He goes onto claim that the vase story wasn't even important.
@Claros00 @Eltonfoo @Rowan_Draper No it was 1 thing I never looked at as proving it was difficult. Didnt need to as so much else was clear.
It seems bizarre to suggest that the provenance and truth of the vase story was not important! It goes to the heart of the credibility of the worst allegations. Shaun Lintern seems to be suggesting that the vase story and 1200 deaths are unimportant details, and worse of all that people highlighting these inaccuracies are denying reality. This is a whole new definition of truth. It's one thing for journalists to distort the facts, another for them to justify it.
The truth is the plain truth - not embroidered, embellished nor embroidered!
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