Johnson’s communications team has banned ministers from appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, boycotted ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and declined to appear on Channel 4 since before the election.
Ministers have also been told not to have lunch with political journalists, and it was briefed at the weekend that Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s senior adviser, had established a “network of spies” to find out whether other special advisers were fraternising with the media.
The BBC in particular is braced for a coming battle with the government after Johnson signalled during the election that he would consider scrapping the licence fee. A thinktank run by Cummings in 2004 advocated an end to the BBC’s funding model and described it as a “mortal enemy” of the Tory party.
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Some of Johnson’s recent hires as special advisers include those with specialisms in film production and photography, prompting speculation that he is increasingly intending to bypass the media. The prime minister has recently launched so-called “people’s PMQs” sessions in which he reads out pre-vetted questions and answers them himself in an attempt to speak directly to the public.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/03/political-journalists-boycott-no-10-briefing-after-reporter-banI knew Johnson was personally boycotting the Today programme, but didn't realise how wide the ban was, not only on other programmes, but for ministers in general. This really does sound like Cummings is setting up Pravda-on-the-Thames.
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