There are some very interesting debates surrounding the involvement of the media in the London riots of 2011. One of the most interesting and a debate thats been key to the media coverage of the riots is the involvement of social media. The Government has at one point gone so far as to consider taking control of social media tools and cutting off those who are responsible or who are planning to instigate civil unrest.
Members of the traditional media landscape, such as Newscorp’s “The Sun” and “The Daily Mail” newspapers have blamed micro blogging service “Twitter” claiming that the service was used to gather numbers and incite people to join. However some media analysts have analyzed that one of their main issues with the social network was the distribution of images of the riots, despite “The Daily Mail” and many other traditional media outlets displaying similar images of their own. Social and digital media definitely played a role in the London riots, allowing youths to rally contacts into rioting, but is that to say that traditional media had no role? The riots spread as far as Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, the cause of it spreading perhaps partially if not mostly down to the way the rioting was glamorized by those involved via social networks. However the most influential images, and perhaps attractive to those desiring unrest and disorder, could arguably be found on television.
Social media such as Twitter and Facebook have also hosted many anti-groups and help organize the clean up effort, with a large online following and hundreds of people turning up in various areas to help as a result. However focus in mainstream traditional media seems to be on the negative effect of social media. It could be argued that the story of media platforms that help cause the riots is more newsworthy, mainly on the strengths of consequence and impact as well as conflict. However a more interesting theory is that traditional media may be purposefully laying blame on social media in order to protect their own interests and demoralize their competitors. Another interesting theory, from social media strategist Jemimi Gibbons is that groups such as those organizing clean up efforts have spawned as a retaliation against the bad image that social network participants are being giving by traditional media. However what is more likely is that users behind such groups are perhaps inspired, perhaps non-consciously, by the use of social media to organize the riots to begin with.
One of the most discussed social media platforms in relation to the London riots is RIM’s service BBM for it’s BlackBerry series of smartphones. With debates about whether or not access should be restricted or removed during times of unrest. One of the most interesting things perhaps, is that in today’s post 9/11 security obsessed society, that there exists a messaging service that is completely private, with RIM even admitting that they cannot unscramble messages sent between rioters.
