3 July 2020

Downing Street may be biting off more than it can chew with its new press briefings

Moving to a daily televised briefing will have bigger implications across government than is perhaps realised.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Pictures of rainbows and supportive messages for key workers and the National Health Service adorn the windows of number 10 Downing Street on April 17, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. In a press conference on Thursday, First Secretary of State Dominic Raab announced that the lockdown will remain in place for at least 3 more weeks. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 130,000 lives and infecting more than 2 million people. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

The British government will scrap the afternoon briefing for members of the parliamentary press gallery, drastically reduce the number of government press officers and bring in a televised afternoon briefing, Laura Hughes has revealed in the FT.

Is this a good idea? Well, there are upsides and downsides. In practice, one upside of the existing lobby system is any reporter with a lobby pass can ask a question – from current affairs magazines to local newspapers to the big behemoths like the BBC and Sky. While a wide range of outlets have been able to ask questions at the government’s coronavirus briefings, because the press conferences are time-limited the practical day-to-day effect is to reduce the amount of questions that can be asked on any given day. (Jonathan Walker, the political editor of the Birmingham Post and Mail and the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal has done a good short thread on this issue.)