There is so much misinformation out there about this situation, I think skepticism of any report is not an unreasonable position. The Italian media has been criticised for drumming up panic.
The health system is completely overloaded and unable to deal with this (1). And that's in a health system that was rated as one of the best in the world (2).
We just have to be careful with the information we use and the conclusions we draw from them.
From all we know, the mortality correlates with age. Only few deads younger than 50 were reported and we don't know what other diseases they suffered from.
I personally wouldn't use TV as a source of information in this regard but that's a personal preference.
Well, I currently find cough twitter quite informative. But I'd rather listen to epidemiologists and virologists. I'd also prefer a good weekly magazine, radio station or podcast because there people have more time/space to elaborate on their point of view. In TV, with very few exceptions, everything is crammed into very small portions that leave no room for critical discussion/appraisal.
"The authorities ..." Which one? If it's an official statement there should be better sources available.
"the director of one hospital ..." Which one?