Terror, values and the oxygen of publicity
image courtesy of rustyruth1959 and flickr, licensed under creative commons
Terror
Here we are again. This time it’s Manchester. Trauma. Grief. Loss. Horror. And bucketloads of free publicity for ISIS and its imitators, guaranteeing there will be more attacks. Why can’t we stop?
Yes, I understand we need to express our horror, our empathy, our solidarity. I understand that targeting children and young people is particularly vile and that expressions of solidarity can help the bereaved in some way. They certainly need whatever help they can get. And the desire to say we’re all Mancunians this week, just as there was a move to declare ‘Je Suis Charlie’, that’s a positive feeling, a human reaching out. But do we need all the media?
TV specials and pages of newsprint
Every time something like this happens television news programmes are extended and the newspapers devote page after page to every aspect they can think of. It becomes an obsession. And ISIS rejoice. These people are vicious killers, revelling in notoriety and wanting as much publicity as they can get. So we’re helping them. Which leaves the question of finding the right approach. I would suggest
- sensitive coverage of loss, vigils, the human cost
- short bulletins on police progress
- some reassurance for the public in terms of future danger balanced with need to be aware
- no public discussion on causes, blame, resources, prevention or policies until at least two weeks have elapsed (these discussions should be going on anyway and not just as a knee-jerk reaction)
That approach should be containable within normal news bulletins and newsprint and leave room for personal grief. It should also lessen the likelihood of future attacks – a key consideration.
The positives
Are there any positives? It hardly feels that way if you’ve lost your child. But, yes, there are some. The fact that there are so few successful attacks. The initial reactions of ordinary men and women – helping the stricken, reuniting families, providing free taxis home. And the way communities come together and show, publicly, that they will not be divided. The spirit of Manchester and of all our diverse communities. Long may the positive outweigh the haters.
