The newspaper columnist Katie Hopkins became the subject of a police review after the Manchester bombing on Monday, as questions were raised about the limits the press can go to when reporting the fallout from terrorist attacks.
Hopkins, who is employed by the Mail Online and LBC, was reported to the Metropolitan police for a tweet in which she called for a “final solution” as part of a longer anti-Muslim tirade.
The columnist quickly deleted the tweet, directed at the This Morning host Phillip Schofield, and posted an edited version after receiving widespread condemnation for repeating the Nazi term for the Holocaust.
The original tweet read:
A spokesperson for the Met confirmed a complaint had been received, adding: “As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.”
The Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson was criticised after she called for the “internment of thousands of terror suspects now to protect our children”. Other commentators condemned what they perceived to be a reactionary and divisive statement.
Other journalists were reprimanded en masse for making seemingly politicised remarks about how Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn differed in their response to the attack.
Meanwhile, families and friends of the victims of the atrocity, in which 22 people were killed and a further 59 injured, complained of being approached by reporters, both online and at their homes.
One widely shared tweet on Tuesday came from someone who said they were caught up in a terrorist incident four years ago, and that their trauma was worsened by the intrusive behaviour of the media.
“News orgs [sic] need to consider their role in creating PTSD. There is evidence on this. Part of the trauma is caused in the aftermath by response,” it said. “In the face of terror, people suffer, but are strong. Emergency services and others are incredible. Media could help, rather than traumatise.”
A Sun journalist was allegedly attacked while knocking on doors in Manchester to speak to families of those affected by the bombing. It is believed the reporter was followed to their car by four girls who pulled the journalist’s hair and scratched them because they were angered by the press asking questions.
A spokesman from the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) said the organisation was in close contact with the police in Manchester.
“Ipso operates a system of ‘private advisory notices’, which are issued an industry-wide basis to make editors and journalists aware of an individual’s concerns about harassment,” he said.
“The notices can also pass on concerns about the potential publication of intrusive or private information and help people find space at a time of grief or shock – making clear, for example, that those who have suffered a bereavement do not want to talk to the press.
“Our staff are available 24 hours a day to give practical advice and guidance for anyone directly affected by the events.”
In a blog published a few weeks ago, Ipso shed further light on the subject, caveated with the reminder that “members of the public are contacted by journalists every day. It’s how stories are gathered, helps ensure what’s published is accurate and gives the subject of the story an opportunity to respond.”
