Media performance in the aftermath of terror: Reporting templates, political ritual and the UK press coverage of the London Bombings, 2005

Julian Matthews

doi:10.1177/1464884914554175

Abstract

This article examines newspaper reaction in the immediate aftermath of the London bombings 2005 to identify the repertoires they use to respond to this large-scale terrorist incident perpetrated on UK soil. It introduces to our established view of media reporting of terrorism, a moment when traditionally differentiated newspapers respond collectively to this incident with coverage marked by its representations of condemnation, solidarity and law and enforcement brought together within human-interest story treatments. These findings point to newspaper journalists employing a generic reporting template at this time to reproduce copy so ordered as to respond consensually to this incident. Newspapers’ performances across this period privilege official responses and collective national reaction to the bombings as they cauterise an identified social wound produced by the incident. Their investigation calls attention to the ritual character of reporting produced against this context, pointing in particular to the enacted images of ‘Britishness’ central to its performance.

Highlights

The UK media covered the London bombings on 7th July 2005 extensively for several months
This paper has explored the reporting of the London Bombings 2005, finding that UK newspapers produce coherent and marked repertoires in response to this event
Newspapers produce reconstructions of the terrorism event that include the voices of significant societal actors and represent society in action

Summary

Introduction

The UK media covered the London bombings on 7th July 2005 extensively for several months. The headlines reveal a reporting template is underpinning the coverage This produces two outcomes in early stories: First, it connects the framing of the event with previous media commentary on recent terrorism (e.g. Al Qaeda brings terror to the heart of London) press speculation that London would become a site for Islamic terrorism following an incident in Madrid, Spain. The reporting template expands these headline reactions into the coverage that follows and in this way shapes its ritual character Important to these reconstructions of the event is the balance that stories strike between the representation of factual and human-interest elements. Presented in this space are the timings and locations of bomb detonation and the actions and reactions of the emergency services as is shown below

9.40: British Transport Police say power surge incidents caused blasts

Conclusion