March 24th, 2020 was the first day of the UK lockdown. The day after, BBC News reported Chloe Middleton: Woman, 21, died with ‘no underlying health issues’. The main source for the story was the family’s Facebook posts that she had passed away from Covid-19.
A week later the article was updated.
The BBC understands that because Ms Middleton was not admitted as a patient to the hospital she was not tested for coronavirus.
BBC News
So, the BBC ran the original story without even confirming if there was a positive Covid-19 test. Their research didn’t go any further than social media. It seems the BBC really need to work on their fact checking!
However, it doesn’t end there.
Covid-19 Recorded On The Death Certificate
On April 1st the BBC ran a further report Chloe Middleton: Death of woman, 21, recorded as ‘Covid-19’. As with the first article, they casually mention there was no Covid-19 test.
But the BBC understands she was not tested for the disease while in hospital.
BBC News
The story continues with a statement from Reading Council on behalf of the coroner’s office.
Her death was very sad but as she had a natural cause of death, involvement by the coroner was not required and the hospital issued a death certificate, recording her cause of death as Covid-19…There was no post-mortem examination or inquest.
BBC News
There was no test, no coroner involvement, no post-mortem or inquest, and a “natural cause of death”. Yet the hospital recorded Covid-19 on the death certificate and the BBC knowingly reported it regardless of the facts.
It’s a great example of how the mainstream media will cleverly twist and spin a story to suit a narrative. Their propaganda has been relentless during the Covid-19 pandemic, read more in my post here.
Some may give the BBC credit for updating the original report a week later about the absence of the coronavirus test. By this time however, it’s too late. The seeds of fear have already been planted in the mind of the reader – which I think was their intention all along. The headlines give the game away.
Finally, why would the BBC engage in fake news and propaganda?
The BBC are funded by the UK government (through the theft that is the TV license). Since 2010 the BBC have also received grants totaling $43,188,085 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Whose interests do you think they serve.
Cover photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash