Covid inquiry report on care homes: families react with 'lasting anger'
The Covid inquiry's care-sector report finds care homes were 'an afterthought' and that Matt Hancock's 'protective ring' claim was unfounded. More than 43,000 care home residents died with Covid in the pandemic.
Left 1 · Centre-left 6 · Centre 5 · Centre-right 4 · Right 3
Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Lies and lasting anger: Hancock's 'protective ring' a 'cruel lie' (Morning Star, Mirror), bereaved families (Guardian), care homes 'an afterthought' (Channel 4).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “COVID inquiry: Bereaved families accuse Hancock of 'cruel lie' as report rejects 'protective ring' around care homes claim” (Sky News); “Sturgeon under fire for care homes 'deadly decision' in 'utterly damning' Covid inquiry report” (The Scotsman).
Right-leaning outlets
Government failure, with blame spread across parties: 'Government failed Brits' (Sun), 'residents sacrificed to save NHS' (Times), Sturgeon 'under fire' for care-home decisions (Scotsman). UnHerd argues the inquiry has 'a care home blindspot'.
Holding the paradox
Agreed facts
The Covid inquiry's sixth report (287 pages) finds the care sector was 'something of an afterthought', that protection came too late and that Matt Hancock's 'protective ring' claim was 'unfounded'. Patients were discharged to care homes untested. More than 43,000 care home residents died with Covid between March 2020 and July 2022.
Where claims conflict
How much blame falls on individual ministers (Hancock) versus systemic choices like 'Protect the NHS'. Scottish coverage stresses the Holyrood government's own decisions.
The paradox
Protecting the NHS was the slogan that saved hospital capacity, and the inquiry says it also helped the virus spread through care homes.
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 3
Centre 3
- BBC News
Covid failings in care homes: What the inquiry says - The Scotsman
Sturgeon under fire for care homes 'deadly decision' in 'utterly damning' Covid inquiry report - Financial Times
‘Protect the NHS’ slogan hurt care home residents in pandemic, Covid inquiry finds (paywalled or blocks bots)
Showing 3 from each side of 19 rated outlets (L 7 / C 5 / R 7). More coverage
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (19 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Star | Left | The Morning Star is owned by the People’s Press Printing Society, a cooperative that readers can join. Revenue is derived through subscription fees, advertising, print sales, and donations. source |
| Channel 4 News | Centre-left | Channel 4 is owned by the nonprofit Channel Four Television Corporation. Advertising and licensing of their programs generate revenue. source |
| Daily Mirror | Centre-left | British Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Herald (Scotland) | Centre-left | The Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| The National (Scotland) | Centre-left | The National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source |
| BBC News | Centre | The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source |
| Financial Times | Centre | The Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source |
| Sky News | Centre | Sky News is owned by Comcast as of November 2018 and is funded through advertising. Rupert Murdoch is no longer affiliated with Sky News UK; however, Newscorp still has a share of Sky News Australia, which reports with a right-leaning bias. source |
| The Conversation | Centre | The Conversation websites are held by the not-for-profit educational charity owned by The Conversation Trust. The Conversation is funded by the university and research sector, government, and business..push({}); source |
| The Scotsman | Centre | JPIMedia owns the Scotsman. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue..push({}); source |
| Evening Standard | Centre-right | The newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source |
| ITV News | Centre-right | No ownership data found |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| UnHerd | Centre-right | Unherd Ventures Limited, a private company owned by Sir Paul Marshall, owns and publishes the website. Sir Paul Marshall is the Chairman of Marshall Wace LLP, a prominent hedge fund group. Marshall is also an investor in the Right-leaning TV News station GB News. source |
| GB News | Right | GB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source |
| The Sun | Right | The Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source |
| The Telegraph | Right | Telegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source |