Running the UK down (latest media fad).

[sjn2004]

Why do the press need to continually try and talk Britain into a depression? The other day on Radio 2 the BBC reported 63 job losses at a wood firm in NI, how is that important enough for the main news? We continually hear how we are the worst affected 1st world nation etc etc, however the true figures tell a much different story.

UK output down 2.4%, Germany down 7.5% and Portugal down 9.8% in Feb, over the last year UK output down 11.9% but Germany down 19.1%

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7954627.stm

[kingofdbrits]

I get aggravated by the media too, i do wonder how much of the mess we're in now is down to the media spouting doom.

A few weeks ago the Sun had a 2 page spread on the 800 agency jobs lost at Mini (emphasis on agency) and yet in the same paper on the same day KFC announced 9000 new jobs and all it got was 6 lines in a minor paragraph on page 27.

As another example, watching newsnight they dedicated 20 minutes to spout doom about the state of Barclays bank then gave 2 independent experts with opposing views about 20 seconds because they tried to explain how things aren't that bad, but where's the news in that huh?

[Berserker LM]

They thrive on doom and gloom! My friend has switched to the Sunday Sport for a more uplifting bog-wipe experience!

[thehawk]

Maybe it's a lot more complex than your simplistic figures suggest. In many respects Germany can afford to lose more before it is effected. And the debt levels are far higher in the UK. In any case I don't believe the media has that much power.

Is Germany's decline due to the fact Brits aren't buying Audis and BMW's en masse any more?

And Portugal? I though this was about 1st world countries?