Just had a lovely catch-up on the phone with my brother @abesdad who asked me the reasonable question: why is there so little opposition to the government's response in the mainstream media?

That got me thinking that not a lot of people know about the pernicious "Broadcast standards during the coronavirus pandemic" issued by Ofcom, which apply to ALL UK broadcast media.

If you Google "Coronavirus OFCOM" you get to this page: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/information-for-industry/guidance/broadcast-standards-and-coronavirus

To me, that is overkill, but at least it's arguable that the guidance contained therein was reasonable earlier in the pandemic.

However, the "meat" of these guidelines are in the "Notes to Broadcasters", and the one I take issue with in particular is the one dated 26 May.

This can be found here, and contains the following:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/195873/Note-to-broadcasters-Coronavirus-update.pdf

These guidelines are still in force. This note essentially has the effect of warning any broadcaster it could be fined / taken off air if it broadcasts any statement which:

...seek to "question or undermine the advice of public health bodies on the Coronavirus, or otherwise undermine people’s trust in the advice of mainstream sources of
information about the disease"

One is bound to ask whether the evidence truly suggests we are now in a public health emergency which justifies such a chilling effect on the broadcast of contrary opinions.