It’s been a tough couple of weeks for news. Coronavirus COVID-19 is dominating all media outlets. Opinion abounds at the expense of factual information, which everyday people rely on to make considered decisions.

In an added blow to getting the facts straight, Australian Associated Press is closing its doors and with that disappears a lot of the objective reporting that used to be considered news.

Hysteria has manifested itself in many ways, fed by inept government communications, opinion loosely disguised as fact and a fear of being seen as not taking the threat seriously enough.

The World Health Organisation has declared a pandemic. More than 100,000 people are ill, thousands dead and thousands more recovered. Millions are worried and plenty are acting irrationally.

In the UK, the government has established a ‘counter disinformation unit’ consisting of several departments across Whitehall designed to identify and respond to disinformation about COVID-19.

The unit is working with social media companies and communications experts to limit the dissemination of misinformation. In a crisis, which is what the world is currently experiencing, communication becomes king.

There is no doubt that it’s time all Australian governments, opposition parties and bureaucrats pulled together to get the story right and communicate facts and useful advice. We don’t need their opinions.

Party politics, grandstanding, fake experts and emotion-based opinions have no legitimate place in the news at this time.