The Telegraph reports, Ofcom accused of stifling ‘criticism’ of Government’s Covid response. Here’s my comment in full:
“Time and again, the weight of Ofcom rules about coronavirus coverage upon broadcasters’ legal departments has been explained to me by people with direct experience.
“While the actual rulings made appear entirely reasonable, we can only speculate on the extent to which risk aversion within the main broadcasters prevented serious broadcast journalists from applying proper scrutiny to policy. No wonder freedom has been in freefall and everyone has remained terrified in spite of the brilliant NHS vaccine rollout. I hope broadcasters don’t still fear asking necessary questions. That would mean a very dark path ahead.
“To label any kind of rational criticism as misinformation is unscientific and a frank rejection of enlightenment values which would catapult us into a new dark age.
“Having just reread that great philosopher of science Karl Popper, I find it unbelievable that such crass ignorance is present in a regulator on whom we rely for the preservation of an open society. They seem instead determined to create new taboos.
“In the first half of the 20th century, civilisation collapsed, spawning a great literature of liberalism. It appears those lessons are now lost on the regulator we most need. That is far more dangerous than I could possibly have feared.”
