At the time of this writing, I was attempting to absorb and understand the latest terror attack, this time in Manchester, England. While not local, these attacks affect all of us as they disrupt our sense of security and oneness with the rest of the world.
As of Tuesday night, there were 22 confirmed fatalities, including children, and dozens injured after a suspected nail bomb was detonated at an Ariana Grande concert Monday night. Authorities believe it was a suicide bomber acting alone but it was very early in the investigation.
I am not naming the suspect, or the organization he was allegedly working with. I’m also not running any photos from the attack. To do so would ratchet up the fear and provide recognition and further ammunition for copycats, which is exactly what they are hoping for.
Many critics on social media were decrying the endless loop of fear and chaos shown in videos on CNN and other stations as the video was made available. Children could be seen screaming and running from the blast in one video. Remember that parents and family members likely didn’t know if their loved one was safe at this point. Another video showed a girl bleeding profusely from the legs. They showed her face for several seconds in the clip.
There have been debates on the news value of this kind of footage for as long as there have been TVs to broadcast the clips. Showing the horror of terrorism has been deemed important to understand the ongoing threat, and often to justify the military response.
One of the other major problems in the minutes after the attack was misinformation being posted to websites and social media streams — some by mainstream media outlets that should collectively know better. There’s a great harm in sharing bogus leads or tips, and the live nature of social media makes this is even more dangerous. Fact-checking shouldn’t cease because it’s “just Facebook” or “just Twitter.”
If this weren’t harmful enough, one freelance journalist — who will have a difficult time landing new contracts going forward — decided this was a good time to test out some dark Twitter humour. It did not go well. David Leavitt’s tweet making light of the tragedy by suggesting he dies when he’s forced to listen to Ariana Grande’s music was horrifying. If there’s any karmic justice in the journalism world, it will also be a career-killing quip.
While these kinds of attacks can occur anywhere in the world where a nothing-to-lose martyr can make a bomb, there is a bit of comfort in knowing that Castlegar and Rossland would likely be low on the list of potential targets. There’s something to be said for being somewhat remote and small in stature.
But it makes it no easier to deal with the emotional toll that these horrors take on our collective psyche.
It’s also a reminder to always be aware of your surroundings and unusual people or objects in your travels, and do the best you can to be safe.