The media’s role in covering the riots has yet to come under any real scrutiny. Paul Macey examines the wider implications for media ethics in the wake of the news that Mark Duggan, who died in Tottenham at the hands of the police, didn’t fire at officers, and the misreporting and silence from large sections of the mainstream media.
During this year’s Black History Month, I was fortunate to take part in a number of debates about the media’s role in perpetuating racism through stereotype and misrepresentation. With the memory of the summer’s “riots” fresh in people’s minds, it is clear that many felt that too often the words and images contained in the media reinforced the age old negativity towards black and ethnic minority communities in the UK.
From Sutton, south London to Birmingham in the West Midlands, there is also a view that ‘omissions’ (aka what the media chooses not to report on) also played a huge role in avoiding an honest debate about the state of the country.
The argument was that while many mainstream media outlets were happy to pore over the riots and exaggerate their findings, few (if any) were prepared to scrutinise the actions of those in authority to the same degree, with the notable exception of Camden New Journal which refused to publish photographs of suspected rioters.
Two recent examples support this position. Both involve the police and young black men. Firstly there is the killing of Mark Duggan in Tottenham in August by the police; an incident many believe triggered the disturbances.
Early in December, the lead investigator for the police watchdog inquiry into Duggan’s death belatedly admitted that it had been a “mistake” to claim Duggan had fired at officers first, a “fact” that was readily gobbled up by most media outlets.
Initial reports that Duggan had fired at the police before receiving the fatal shot to his chest have been disproved by ballistic tests. The hearing was told that a gun initially linked to Duggan “was actually found 14 feet away from the crime scene, on the other side of a fence”.
This revelation followed hot on the heels of claims in November by the driver of a car in northLondon, which was attacked by police officers carrying baseball bats and pickaxe handles. He argued that the six officers involved should have criminal charges brought against them.
The driver was understandably outraged that members of theEnfieldcrime squad were not sacked after being found guilty of misconduct at a disciplinary hearing. They had used excessive force when they stopped his car, yet despite receiving various internal sanctions, all of them are likely to be back on full time duty in the near future.
There are huge implications based on both of these cases. They highlight the continued aggression of many police officers toward black youths, in particular. They also highlight the inexplicable support rogue officers continue to receive from the criminal justice system, often back by the mainstream media’s bias and even silence.
One would have hoped these two shocking cases would lead to intense media and political scrutiny. The fact that they haven’t only confirms the belief held by many that honesty is not a useful commodity for those in authority. All of which makes a mockery of the puffed up fury of editors, pundits and politicians when discussing the recent riots.
For those who do take their privileged role as journalists seriously, these cases send a clear signal that to challenge discrimination they need to redouble their efforts, and hold their editors to account to ensure that the truth is told.
Paul Macey is Words of Colour’s director for internships and community development.