Over the years we have come to expect sensationalism surrounding every story reported by the media and have learned to accept it. However there are some issues which should not be sensationalised for the sake of selling publications. Currently we are experiencing an outbreak far more worrying than that of COVID-19; an outbreak of panic, and it has been fuelled by the major press to an alarming degree. Using the term "deadly virus" at every opportunity, constantly reporting the death toll with no reminders of the survival rate far outweighing it, seeking out interviews with the worst afflicted "survivors" and avoiding those who suffered no worse than a nasty cold. People are in the grip of panic buying and it is causing those with genuine need of supplies to go without - children with suddenly have no access even to Calpol in the cold and flu season, cancer patients who cannot find antibacterial handsoap, people with limited budgets who can't put their weeks worth of family food shopping into their baskets because those who can afford it have already bought it in bulk and people in emergency situations waiting too long for ambulances because operators are dealing with people afraid they "may have" Coronavirus. While this IS the responsibility of the individuals and they too should be held to account the individuals in question are unlikely to have seen the need to react like this had it not been for sensationalist reporting by the press. In a world where few trust the government to tell the whole truth many seem to forget that the press can be equally as unreliable in times of perceived "crisis" because "keep calm and carry on" sells less than "just over 200 people in a country of over 66million have got a virus that ranges from the sniffles to death if you were already vulnerable to illness". The public have largely held the press accountable for the death of Caroline Flack - they should also hold them accountable for the death of anyone in the coming weeks who can't access treatment or medicine due to public panic.