This is really a follow-on from the previous posting but, as you may not read the comments, I have decided to give it its own little posting.
Terry Pratchett agrees with me, but puts it much better when referring to the press by getting a character to say "I seriously think they think that it's their job to calm people down by first of all explaining why they should be overexcited and very worried".
1 comment:
Perfectly put.
Whilst the robbery was shocking in that the Mr Ashraf was not on his own and it was just after 6pm in a populated area, there were as you say other relevant factors. It's presumably unlikely to be a coincidence that Mr Ashraf was just leaving the money exchange shop in which he worked and had a large amount of cash on him.
A horrific crime certainly, but reporting that distorts and creates fear is hardly helpful.
The response locally is fairly sensible, from what I pick up. I've heard shop-keepers speak about the concerns it gives them re locking up their businesses of an evening, but I've not heard anyone worry about carrying a laptop per se.
But then we're fairly used to ignoring erroneous news-stories round here...
Plus the BBC once referred to our area as "possibly Manchester's least glamorous neighbourhood" and we have long memories ;-)
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