Wed 10th of August 2011, filed under Social Media
Social media under the microscope
Social media has been accused of helping coordinate the Manchester riot.
On Tuesday, 9 August 2011, hundreds of looters descended on Manchester city centre and neighbouring Salford, breaking windows and fighting police officers. Many media commentators on programmes like the Channel 4 News, 5 Live Drive and BBC North West Tonight were quick to point the finger at social media, suggesting that sites like Twitter and Facebook had been used by gangs in the Manchester riot to plan their targets.
However, while specific tweets and Facebook wall messages prove that social media was used by looters, there are also countless examples of the medium being employed for more positive ends. The official Greater Manchester Police Twitter account was widely praised for giving authoritative reports on the many rumours circulating last night, and today it is calling on members of the public to submit any videos and photos they have of the Manchester riot.
Coordinating the response on social media
Thousands of people also expressed their outrage on social media, with footage from the Manchester riot shared repeatedly in an effort to identify the culprits through crowdsourcing. And this morning has seen crowds flock to the centre to help with the aftermath – as of 10.45am, the Riot Clean Up Manchester Twitter feed had more than 6,000 followers while the Manchester Riot Cleanup - Help Facebook page had nearly 8,000 likes.
Daniel Nolan, general manager of theEword, said: "Onlookers were quick to pin the blame on Twitter and Facebook for coordinating the Manchester riot but the truth is much more complex. The proactive tweets from Greater Manchester Police and the use of social media to crowdsource the cleanup operation show how they can be used in a positive way."
Another technology giant, BlackBerry, has also been criticised for playing an unwitting part in the Manchester riot. Its Blackberry Messenger Service, which allows users to send encrypted and untraceable messages to friends, was widely reported to have been used by looters to organise their movements. Referring to the London riots on Monday, the Blackberry UK Twitter feed announced that the company would assist the authorities "in any way we can".
Posted by Richard Frost
