Flavia Gouveia
A report by the Survivors Against Terror group suggests new rules for journalists reporting on terror attacks.
Findings included reports of “intrusion, pestering, misrepresentation and invasion of privacy” by journalists. One anonymous respondent called their experience “deeply upsetting”.
The report, called A Second Trauma, said that ‘in some cases the pestering tipped over into pressure. That took the form of door stepping survivors, approaching neighbours, old friends and colleagues’.
The respondents reported feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear of leaving the house because of media cover and pressure. The report names news outlets like the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
An anonymous respondent said that they were messaged “about speaking about the attacks before I had even got home and seen my family.”
Recommendations
Existing reporting guidelines say that reporting “must be made with sympathy and discretion”. Regardless, 59% of survivors reported experiencing media intrusion. The report asked that victims and families should not be contacted for at least two days following the attack.
“The press reported a family member was alive when in fact they had died on the day of the terrorist attack, giving us all false hope.”
The report included recommendations for better and more compassionate reporting on terror attacks. One recommendation was the creation of a Survivors’ Support Hub to help people deal with the media after a terror attack.
The group called for a new system to confirm fatalities, ensuring that journalists do not report on fatalities without confirmation from family. This follows a report by one of the respondents that “the press reported a family member was alive when in fact they had died on the day of the terrorist attack, giving us all false hope.”
The report supported less screen time for terrorists and terror attacks, including not reporting images of attackers. Coverage was seen by survivors as furthering interests of terrorists in spreading fear. This comes as 90% of survivors reported support for “reducing the focus on the terrorists’ names and identities”.
The group stated that they “recognise and support the role of media organisations in reporting on the obvious public interest in terror attacks”. It maintained that the “central purpose of terror attacks is to spread fear and to divide societies” and that “media coverage matters because it is a central objective of the attacks”.
About the Report
Survivors Against Terror was set up by people bereaved and/or injured in terror attacks. The group looks to provide better support for survivors and campaigns for changes to make future attacks less likely.
The report was conducted between 2019 and 2021 and surveyed 116 survivors of terror attacks. Contributors included the widower of the murdered MP Jo Cox and relatives of the Manchester Arena and Fishmonger’s Hall attack victims.
The group stated that “the debate is not about whether reporting on attacks is legitimate, it’s a question of the responsibility inherent in that reporting and how far that is being upheld”.
The Independent Press Standards Organisation issued a statement once the report was published. It said that “reporting in the aftermath of a major incident can be very challenging. It is very important that the media can report freely and in the public interest, while balancing the need to respect the privacy and feelings of those most directly affected”.
Featured image courtesy of Sam McGhee via Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes or alterations were made to this image.
Flavia Gouveia
3rd year student at Queen's University Belfast, studying Politics and English. Interested in current affairs and environmentalism.