Not at all. Any report of panic buying encourages more panic buying.

There's a fine line between wallowing in reports of panic and not reporting it at all leading to keeping the public ignorant apart from social media scares. 

IMO the press have erred on the over-reporting side.

Exactly.

Look at the Tele's website front page and you see, with a red background, this:

Supermarkets begin food rationing after wave of coronavirus-fuelled panic buying

It's accompanied by pictures of empty shelves at an Asda, taking up a massive area of the page.

The obvious implication is that people will then think "OMG, FOMO, must panic-buy now now now!"

The idea that someone thought that that was a) a good idea and b) the most important facet of today's news is remarkable.

Again, compare it to the Guardian and BBC, who make Coronavirus the main story but in a much less sensationalist way.

And again, I'm very disappointed that they've chosen to do this. It's interesting that the print version relegates this story to a sideline on the front page (no photos), with the lead instead about the Government doing its best to minimise effects on the economy. That is the story they should have led with on their site, IMO.

The report is about actions that Tesco is taking to limit panic buying and hoarding. I cannot see anything made up or sensationalised in the report (and I have full access to it behind the paywall).

How exactly is reporting a fact ‘sensationalised’? Where is the Telegraph ‘encouraging panic buying’? 

I also pay for the Tele.

As I said, Justin, it's the tone of the article. You know as well as I do what tends to happen when reports of panic-buying and empty shelves are splashed all over the place - remember the petrol crisis 20 years ago, for example? Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The print edition of the Tele handles this much better, but splashing photos of empty shelves and massive RED BOXED HEADLINES all over the website is just going to cause even more panic!

By all means report it, it's going on after all, but don't inflate it to be the most important thing in the news today. The media does, IMO, have an obligation to defuse panic rather than stoke the flames ever-higher.

Fascinating discussion in here this morning, with regards should bad news be reported if it threatens to bring social collapse (collapse ranking from no medication, empty shelves in supermarkets to rationing etc). In the coming days and weeks it appears now very Likely that swathes of many Western countries will become quarantined. (I admit to no medical knowledge) but you would have to show a strong case to change my mind on this. The problem is our 'just in time' delivery system of goods. On a global scale due to globalisation, manufacturing in China and pharmaceuticals in India, Through to stocking shelves in supermarkets. The system was never designed for a global shock which I am afraid to say increasingly COVID 19 is looking to provide. The economic impacts of mass quarantines really is a huge issue which can even impact water and power generation. China for example it's under government control, very different when it's under private control.

That's almost funny. Quite a triumph.

You seem rather tetchy of late?

I think it's difficult to find the right balance between accurate reporting and overplaying something. I'm with Darren and Caz on this: it could have been reported with a different tone/emphasis.

Of course. Because you are above criticism.

I am no more tetchy than normal. What I am is disappointed but unsurprised at the usual lack of acumen or ability to reason on this forum.

Blaming the media for reporting facts when they don’t fit your world view is intellectually lazy and tired.

There is absolutely nothing sensational in the Telegraph report. The most that Darren can come up with is that he doesn’t like the colour of the headline!

I challenge all of you to articulate what is so wrong with the ‘tone’ of the report. Not some mealy-mouthed generic response but a precise and reasoned analysis quoting the exact sentences which cause you so much angst.

Yes it proves that and so much more.

People have lost leave of their senses.

Why does Joe Public need to purchase that amount of toliet paper from a supermarket? That is a number of months supply! 

This place is like a drop-in centre for autistic people

Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult? 

What this 'crisis' will show throughout is that there are some real stupid people out there.

It does have it's down side, Justin, I am sad to say. Nevertheless, there is some useful information buried amongst the more asinine hyperbole. I comfort myself with the kindly thought that most folks here are genuinely trying to investigate and learn something of the way diseases work, which has got to be a good thing. The trouble is it so quickly degenerates into a willy-measuring or leg-cocking competition. No change there, then.

R.

Its baffling

Why isn't there panic buying on boxes of tissues? Why toilet roll? It isn't a diahorrea bug. 

I guess there is a mindset of “if I have to self-isolate what would I really not want to run out of?”

Beyond a point that becomes self perpetuating with (sometimes perceived) shortages. Whether I agree with it or not and whether it is helpful or not I don’t find it surprising and can understand the thought process that goes behind it.

I seriously think you need to give this forum a break, Justin.   For you sake and everyone else's.  That comment is beyond the pale 

Cruise ships isolated and unable to dock are like the 21st century version of the plague ships of old.

Venice is quarantined now. The word quarantine comes from a Venetian variant.

Today's face masks are the modern version of the plague masks of old

Ignorance of the disease has increased prejudicism like during the plagues of old.

It is unprecedented in modern times and once the virus has really got holed in a community the only way to slow/stop it.  The most disruption to 'normal' life is on its way to western Europe since the ww2 . France and the USA look to be going a similar way to Italy . Can the UK avoid the worst and maybe end up in a similar place to South Korea,  which has had huge disruption but not on the Italian scale. 

Why? It's surely like a jew making jewish jokes