The political circus distracts from what the public needs to know

It’s simple maths: fewer journalists equals less news coverage. And, in Australia that formula has resulted in national politics dominating the news.

We’ve been left with a media hammering away bulletin after bulletin at the political aspects of COVID-19: conflict (closed borders!) and administrative failure (quarantine! Aged care!). Take this morning’s Australian Financial Review, jam-packed with “devastated” businesses, "aghast" and “lashing” Victoria’s lock-down extension. But as Peggy Lee would ask: is that all there is in a pandemic?

There's already been some pushback to this. News Corp -- which often stumbles along the fine line between accountability and gotcha journalism -- has been criticised for bickering about blame. Herald Sun reporters have been accused of hijacking Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' press conferences. Twitter has responded with #Thisisntjournalism, and public feedback suggests that most people trust their own premier over their local News Corp tabloid.