AS Media, Representation, Regional and National identity

1. The UK Riots
6th – 9th August 2011
MS1: The Representation of an Event

5. The Facts
• On 6 August 2011 a peaceful march took place in
relation to the police response to the fatal shooting of
Mark Duggan by Metropolitan Police Service firearms
officers on 4 August 2011, a riot began in Tottenham,
North London.
• Between 6 and 10 August 2011, rioting spread to several
London boroughs and districts and eventually to some
other areas of England, with the most severe
disturbances outside London occurring in Bristol and
cities in the Midlands and Manchester .
• Related localised outbreaks also occurred in many
smaller towns and cities in England.

6. The Facts
• The riots were characterised by rampant looting and arson attacks
of unprecedented levels. As a result, British Prime Minister David
Cameron returned early from his holiday in Italy and
other government and opposition leaders also ended their holidays
to attend to the matter. All police leave was cancelled
and Parliament was recalled on 11 August to debate the situation.
• As of 15 August, about 3,100 people had been arrested, of whom
more than 1,000 had been charged. Arrests, charges and court
proceedings continue, with courts working extended hours. There
were a total 3,443 crimes across London linked to the disorder.
• Five people died and at least 16 others were injured as a direct
result of related violent acts. An estimated £200 million worth of
property damage was incurred, and local economic activity was
significantly compromised.

7. The Facts
• Police action was blamed for the initial riot,
and the subsequent police reaction was
criticised as being neither appropriate nor
sufficiently effective.
• The riots generated significant debate among
political, social and academic figures about
the causes and context in which they
happened.

8. Broadcast News Coverage of the Riots
• When TV was covering the
riots on a round-the-clock
basis, it seemed as always
with rolling news that they
were desperately trying to
keep talking about it all the
time too.
• An endless search for 'experts'
(anyone with an opinion) took
place and reporters were
constantly trying to explain
and pin down the meaning of
the riots.

9. Broadcast News Coverage of the Riots
• 'Community leaders' and politicians were
called upon to 'condemn' the riots
• And particularly shocking footage was
repeated endlessly.
• But whenever someone spoke from outside
this consensus , however, they tended to be
dismissed or even insulted.

10. BBC News Coverage
• The writer Darcus Howe offers his explanation and
rather than listen to what he says, the newsreader
keeps interrupting him and misrepresenting his views.
• She also gets his name wrong and accuses him of
having been a rioter.
• It backfires as he tells her what he thinks of her. Later
the BBC had to apologise.
• Interestingly, the clip has had almost five million views
since.

11. Newsnight (BBC 2)
• As endless 'experts' were brought out during the
week, Newsnight hit probably the lowest point by
inviting David Starkey, the historian who had
become a household name earlier in the year for
his appearance on Jamie's Dream School, onto a
panel to give his verdict.
• This raised a lot of questions about what
constitutes an expert, as his area is Tudor History.
Clearly he was on to say something controversial,
which he duly did.

12. Newsnight (BBC 2)
• Starkey complained afterwards that the other panellists
kept interrupting him and that he was bullied.
• The BBC were told that OFCOM would take no action
against them for allowing Starkey's racist views as it was
felt that the presenter and panellists challenged him
sufficiently
• Though Owen Jones, the author trying to get a word in,
disagreed, calling OFCOM "toothless..by failing to tackle
the out-and-out racism of a discredited historian".

13. BBC Newsround Coverage (BBC1)

16. Newspaper Coverage of the Riots
• A look at the front pages during the
week of the riots gives an overview of
the way the story was told.
• As the disturbances on Saturday
night happened after the
Sunday papers had gone to press,
the first opportunities for the front
pages did not come till Monday.
• This is one reason that rolling news on
TV and the instant coverage from social
media was so important. Here are some
of Monday's front pages:

18. Newspaper Coverage of the Riots
• The Mirror and The Guardian go with the image of the
burning furniture store in Tottenham,
• Whilst the Sun suggests those involved may be of primary
school age.
• The Telegraph takes the looting angle, with an emphasis
almost on the comedy of it (a reference to British 'carry
on.'. films) which of course defines the riots in terms of
greed rather than anger and had already gained
widespread coverage in this footage from Sky News: