the silly season

silly season

A period during which news outlets cover frivolous or less serious news stories, typically during the summer when fewer topics are generated. Primarily heard in UK. I don't even buy the paper during the silly season because there's nothing worth reading about. You know it's the silly season when your assignment is to cover the circus.
See also: season, silly
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the silly season

the months of August and September regarded as the time when newspapers often publish trivia because of a lack of important news. chiefly British
This concept and phrase date back to the mid 19th century. In high summer Victorian London was deserted by the wealthy and important during the period in which Parliament and the law courts were in recess.
See also: season, silly
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the ˈsilly season

(British English) the time, usually in the summer, when newspapers are full of unimportant stories because there is little serious news
See also: season, silly
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • silly season
  • a rough time
  • rough time
  • during
  • during the course of
  • tin hat
  • crack the code, to
  • a baby boomer
  • baby boomer
  • boomer
References in classic literature
It was in the silly season, and a prominent editor, a cousin of the temporary laboratory-assistant, appealed to the conscience of the nation.
Journalists across the globe have regarded this time of the year, the heart of the summer, as the silly season in which nothing of much interest happens, at least on the political front.
AUGUST is traditionally the silly season. Brexit makes this year slightly different, of course, but it is good to see a fine British tradition still being preserved.
I know it's the silly season, but this is ridiculous.
We are now officially in the Silly Season as measured by most media outlets and Uncle Norbert and I see no reason why this should not be reflected in the letters' page.
It must be the silly season because they seem more prevalent than ever, so beware.
I'd say it was the silly season but, even if we wanted to, we couldn't make this stuff up.
Police have been beset with "inappropriate" enquiries over the silly season, including a 999 call for marriage counselling and a man who was "a bit scared" of a hedgehog.
After all, the generous parliamentary recess coincides with the silly season - traditionally a time when big cats are sighted in Powys, Simon Cowell is snapped on his yacht in high-waisted shorts and Lembit Opik gives his annual warning on the prospect of mankind being wiped out by an apocalyptic asteroid.
THE silly season for managerial sackings is upon us - and there's been a worrying trend developing this week.
Another story that might be filed under the Silly Season heading was our article on the lorry driver who attempted the vehicular equivalent of threading a camel through the eye of a needle, with the inevitable result.
THE silly season is at its zenith when spotlighting Ed Miliband.
Oh, I get it - I've been hoodwinked by the kind of transfer speculation that the papers use to fill their pages during the silly season.
I SEE the silly season has started again, with Welsh language activists bleating for more money.
The Silly Season, as it turned out, was a newspaper ritual universally observed: the armoured column was met at the German frontier by a Panzer Korps of reporters from Der Bild tabloid who bombarded the invaders with schnitzel, chips and beer.