CHRON COMMENT: Reporting on first coronavirus is not sensationalist

It was only a matter of time before Northamptonshire had its first confirmed case of coronarvirus.

It followed days of speculation, false rumours and so-called tip-off calls to our newsroom about supposed cases, lockdowns at Northampton General Hospital and other made-up tales.

When the first case was confirmed by the Department of Health, we reported the news on our website and social media platforms.

There followed a deluge of comments from people accusing the media of scaremongering and hyping up the nation into hysteria.

It was not the case, we were just reporting the facts. If we had wanted to whip up hysteria and go for the sensationalised stories, we would have published every rumour and speculative story we had heard in the previous week or so.

Coronavirus is exactly that. A virus. Yes, more people may die from other illnesses and diseases...at the moment.

And that is the point of the media coverage...to urge people to take precautions, and take the warnings seriously, to stop coronavirus becoming the epidemic that the experts have warned it may.

It is not the media that are coming up with the predictions about the scale of coronavirus, it is the experts in the field.

If the Chron, and other regional media outlets, had not reported on the first case of coronavirus, we would have been accused of ignoring it or covering it up.

So, no, we are not sensationalising the story or whipping up a state of mass hysteria...we are just reporting the facts, as they happen.