Analysis of Media Relations - Literature review Example

Media Relations On 7 July 2005 London once again came under siege, this time from Al-Qaida terrorists. The news broke instantaneously all over the world. In the frenzy that followed, we are focusing on three London newspapers (online editions of The Guardian, The Independent and The Telegraph) and The Washington Post from the United States who carried the story as well as the subsequent days after the attack. For the purposes of this paper, online editions are used to compare the continually updated information and its relevance/usefulness. First it was estimated that 'at least 37 people had been killed' (The Independent, 7 July 2005) and '38 Dead in London Blasts' (The Guardian, 7 July 2005). As the day unfolded and more was learnt, different angles began to emerge as the media competed for the best and most relevant information. All three online editions of these papers, after publishing the details and timelines, next mentioned the whereabouts of and statements of PM Tony Blair, who was at a G8 summit: 'The Prime minister Tony Blair said before leaving the G8 summit "It is particularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa and the long term problems of climate change and the environment"' (The Independent, 7 July 2005). An interview with Mr. Jack Straw informed us that the 'blasts, which bore some resemblance to the Madrid train bombings in March 2004, had the "hallmarks of an Al-Qaida related attack"' (Sarah Left, Mark Oliver and agencies, Guardian, 7/7/05. 22.45 update). Amongst reports of the bombings came scattered news of the G8 summit and whether or not Mr. Blair would return to London. This was the common thread through all of the media researched, first the reports of the bombings, then the estimated number of deaths followed by estimations of injuries and next the focus on Mr. Blair. Throughout the day of 7 July 2005, local newspapers continued with a stream of updated information, mostly concerned with cautioning the public to avoid the area as well as a special caution to the Muslims of London to stay indoors. London has certainly seen its fair share of attacks due to the conflicts with the IRA, but this event held more horror because of the sequence of the four bombings occurring so closely, reminding Londoners and even visiting Americans of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. When a threat such as this occurs, it is critical that the people in the immediate area are informed of what is happening and what they should do. In this case, especially in the tube bombings, there was no one in the moments following the explosions. People had to take it upon themselves to escape the danger zone and find out what was happening. At the same time, people who have access to on-demand news want to know the very same things, for different reasons. This is where the media are responsible for the both the qualitative and quantitative content of their reports, On a day such as this, however, any news seemed worthy of being reported, with the purpose of bringing the public out of panic or shock then posting emergency telephone numbers and searching for the reassurance that the authorities were doing everything they could. The human emotions were wrenched by account after account of the horror from survivors and rescue teams, some online editions carrying video and radio streaming bites. Other editions offered photographs taken by the victims with their cell phones. Still reeling from the '9/11' attacks, American online newspaper editions such as the Washington Post offered the stories of citizens at work who were near the attack sites and 'set up a makeshift MASH unit' to treat the injured. The quality of reporting regarding 7 July 2005 remained at a fairly high level in the days following the attacks, and the world watched as London first discovered that at least 3 of the 4 bombing suspects had been British born. Here are samples of various media headlines regarding the discovery that the bombers were British nationals: Prime Minister Tony Blair has expressed his shock that the four men believed to have carried out last week's deadly terrorist attacks on London's transit system were British nationals. (CNN World, 13 July 2005) British bombers: Worst fears true: This is the nightmare scenario that nobody in British society wanted to face. (Dominic Casciani, 12 July 2005, BBC News community affairs). This was actually a very subjective article on the part of Mr. Casciani; in actuality, it appears that the British weren't that shocked at all. Interestingly enough, when polled, some people didn't even seem very surprised: 'I personally believe that Londoners have reacted to these horrifying event as they have - with sang-froid - simply because the concept of home-grown terror is not that new at all.' Simon Craddock, New York and London (Telegraph online, July 2005). As more truth about the bombings came to light and the death toll mounted over the following week, the media began to show the signs of bleeding the story by running minute-by-minute timelines of the attacks; the online edition of the Telegraph also lists the chronological events over eleven days, tracking events from 7 - 18 July from the moment of the attacks to the identification of victims and police investigations. Analysts began writing their opinions and some members of the Muslim community were interviewed. Hospital visits by the Queen were recorded and more information about the bombers was uncovered and revealed. Even as this report concludes, a story about bombing victim Jennifer Nicholson appears in the 18 August 2005 online edition of the Telegraph. The victims of this act are being duly noticed and honoured as coverage still continues and the families and friends of the victims begin the long journey to healing. As the world grows smaller through the medium of satellite broadcast, videophone reporting and online reporting, it becomes more important for the media to be in good standing with not only the public but also police and rescue teams. In a world that seems to change by the second and grow more unstable and uncertain, the media has become a close companion to many around the world. It is hoped that the balance between fact and speculation, compelling reporting and emotion mongering can be calibrated even further. The media has grown into a force to be reckoned with, beyond individual cities and borders. In all, the reporting of the London attacks of 7 July 2005 were well done and cautious, yet we could do with less analysis of the extraneous to fill in the gaps. References Casciani, Dominic, 12 July 2005, BBC News community affairs BBC News |Online| Retrieved 15 August, 2005, Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4677209.stm CNN World Edition, 13 July 2005, |Online| Retrieved 15 August 2005 Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/13/london.blair/ News.Telegraph, 07 July 2005, The Attacks: Minute-by-Minute Timeline |Online| Retrieved 16 August, 2005, Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtmlxml=/news/campaigns/london_terror/ufftimeline.xml Independent, Online Edition, 'Dozens Killed In London Blasts.' 7 July 2005, |Online| Retrieved 13 August 2005, Available at: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article297443.ece Glenn Frankel and Ellen Knickmeyer, 8 July 2005, 'In My Mind Was: Am I Dreaming It Was Surreal: Survivors and Rescuers Recall Day of Dread,' Washington Post Foreign Service |Online| Retrieved 13 August 2005, Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070700261.html Richard Saville, 18 August 2005, '1,000 Bid Farewell to Bomb Victim Jenny,' News.Telegraph |Online| Retrieved 18 August 2005, Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtmlxml=/news/2005/08/18/njenny18.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/18/ixnewstop.html A Letter to The Daily Telegraph On Behalf of the Metropolitan Police To the Editor and the Public: There has been tremendous and just concern over the unfortunate shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes on 22 July 2005 by our police officers. I am compelled to write this letter to address the complications and frustrations the police department suffers due to our city's history of circumstances similar to, though not as severe as, the attacks of 7 July 2005. First, please understand that over the course of the weeks following 7 July, the London police, Scotland Yard and other agencies worked round the clock to uncover the source of these viscous attacks and take further preventive measures to protect the public and the infrastructure of our city. They are not unlimited nor omniscient in their scope or effectiveness and the assistance of the citizenry and surveillance equipment helped them enormously in their investigation, which continues and will likely continue for a long time to come. Sadly but truthfully, this is likely not the only time we will have to deal with a situation such as this. This era seems to hold much danger in all societies as extremist groups galvanise themselves and carry out horrendous acts unscathed. The intelligence and manpower needed to guarantee safety and security all of the time is just not possible. There was a time not so long ago when only special forces of the police department carried firearms. Times and circumstances have changed, and tragically, mistakes are made when tensions run high and stress is at its maximum. Such a time is during and immediately following an attack such as 7 July and other such incidents where scores of people are killed, maimed and terror-stricken. Please allow me to give you precise information about some internal procedures of the Metropolitan Police Authority so that the public may be made more aware of how overstretched they are, especially since the beginning of the war in Iraq which began in March 2003. It is said that our country's participation in this was exponentially increased our chances of being stricken by terrorists. This would appear to be the case, and it does not help that analysts in the media announce what terrorist organizations are 'likely to do next;' that is similar to inviting the wolf through the front door. If you will look at the key features of the 2000 Terrorist act (you can do this online at: http://www.ukresilience.info/ctkeyfacts.htm) you will see that the government gave the police enhanced powers to investigate terrorism. Unfortunately, these enhanced powers did not come with the budget necessary to make them efficient and effective. The House of Lords and other governing bodies have appealed for publicity regarding the original Terrorist Act and its successive updates, yet we have not really seen much. Therefore, I ask you to print this web site address, which will give access to Lord Carlile Of Berriew QC's Report on the Operation of the Terrorism Act in 2002 and 2003. This can be viewed in its entirety as a pdf file by accessing the Home Secretary's response to it at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/150704_report.html In order to understand where we are going, we must look at where we have been. In order to come to terms with one tragic accident involving an innocent man being shot the day after a second attempt of attacks, we must understand what must be going on in the minds of the departments that are working to protect us. Granted, the police department does not have a very high vote of confidence. New procedures installed and a different kind of training can and will impose itself on a skeptical public; if the police department doesn't have the trust of the public it serves, what can the department do to turn that around And how willing is the public to participate, especially a public as multi-cultural as ours These issues are made very clear in the Stop-and-Search Report of 2004. This report reveals abuse of enhanced powers by a few officers who should probably change jobs; I quote directly from that report here: 'In a qualitative study commissioned by the Scrutiny Panel and undertaken by the 1990 Trust, 304 individuals were interviewed to assess their experience of stop and search and whether or not they complained. The main findings of the study were: Almost half the respondents who had been stopped by the police had already been stopped more than five times, and 88% had been stopped more than once. So for many respondents in this study, and many young Black and Muslim men and boys, being stopped and searched by the police is a normal part of their everyday lives. Most participants were given inadequate reasons for being stopped. One in five of those stopped said that the reason they were given was false or an excuse for stopping them, and many others were told the stop was 'routine'. A quarter of respondents who had been stopped were given no reason for the stop, and those stopped under the Terrorism Act were informed that no further reason had to be given. Just 11% of respondents who had been stopped and not made a complaint said this was because there was nothing wrong with the stop or search.' Now here is where the public's attention will likely be drawn, on item 327 of this report (which is why people entering the police academy in the first place should be properly assessed psychologically before being allowed to carry a badge): 'Respondents stopped under the Terrorism Act thought they had no right to complain about the stop, and one respondent had been told this by a police officer.' Granted, we have no further insight as to why this occurred; we are simply given the raw data. Further complications occur through varying interpretations of information that is reported; it is easy to have a wildly emotional reaction to an incident when fear is rampant. After the 7 July bombings, the Muslim community was frightened of persecution, and rightly so. In the heat of the moment, only the most highly disciplined and trained people can cope with the moments and days after being caught up in a crisis, whether caught on a train or anywhere else. To be a police officer in such circumstances can add undue stress as well during uncertain times, since police officers are also fallible human beings. A case in point is contained in the aforementioned report by Lord Carlile: 'The exercise of police powers is an operational matter often requiring immediate and difficult decisions by junior officers. The scope for mistakes is greater at times of operational pressure, and sometimes excusable in moral terms.' These days, 'moral terms' can mean just about anything. The Met is standing behind its officers; plenty of witnesses stated that the young man did all the wrong things when asked to stop. He had been living in London legally for three years, but had lived in San Paulo, where a police department famous for its high level of corruption makes the public more afraid of them than the mafia that is intertwined with them. Perhaps it was Mr. Menezes' first encounter with the British police and he simply reacted in the same way he would have in Brazil. We will never know why he did what he did. Even our mayor Ken Livingstone has a grim view of the future in regards to this case; on 23 July, the BBC reported him as saying, 'the police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public. This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility.' Perhaps this is blame-shifting. But it does have a ring of truth to it. The sad fact is, anyone who doesn't look like a Caucasian is going to be more heavily scrutinized than those who do. That is the fact, and likely the necessity of the times, given the 'face of the enemy.' What, truly, do we do as a civilized society in these times of such extreme uncertainty of danger Do we try to educate ourselves further It seems that the United States has educated itself into oblivion yet more extreme incidents than this happen there. Recall the number of prisoners held at Guatanamo Bay in Cuba. We have choices about what we can think about this sad incident; we can reach to understand it, wait to see what happens, or decide to ignore it. We can also jump to a conclusion. Yet the very purpose of this letter is to encourage all who read it to realize that we must cope with these turbulent times; they are not going to end soon, they may not end in our lifetime. I am truly sorry for this young man and his family. I am also sorry for the victims of 7 July and all other victims of terrorism and cruelty and unjust treatment. But to wish for utopia is for fools, and we are not a nation of fools. May we exercise prudence and caution in our daily activities as we walk unsteadily in these disturbing times. No matter the opinion of those around us, may we bear up under the pressure and act with purpose and courage, using discernment. I ask that the readers of this letter look into the information presented, if they please, to understand that any of us could be the next unfortunate victim, no matter our colour or background. We can simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sincerely yours, Read More