Yesterday’s violence was a bit of a shocker to be honest. I would expect that in Paris or Barcelona but London’s young protesters have kept their cool for at least the last ten years.
They aren’t scenes anyone wants to see – wide eyed bandanered youth with little more on their minds than destruction. It made a mockery in many ways of the legitimate protesters outside. But then maybe that is what some people get like when they are dispossessed by those they voted into power a few short months ago.
Debates of the morality of violent protest aside an interesting point about web-based journalism has come up – The Telegraph are using their considerable online presence and the high social network interest in the protests to name, and one must believe, eventually shame, the protesters that have been caught on camera.
Immediately it feels a bit ‘crimewatch’ to me. But then it’s not that far from what a journalist does everyday, it’s just making innovative use of the social media available. A country wide doorstep if you will.
And yet watching the tweets appear on my timeline it didn’t feel like the journalism I like to think I practice. This just felt like schadenfreude. Looking through the photos for a familiar face and the opportunity to dob in an acquaintance for the thrill of it.
At least on crimewatch we know what the consequences will be if we tell on them. The Telegraph offers no such clarity.
It’s a completely knee-jerk, old fashioned reaction but the dispossessed, recent student in me didn’t really like it.
Rag Doll 
If it catches that absolute cretin who launched the extinguisher off the roof, which could’ve easily killed someone below then it’s not that bad an idea.
Agreed – no one should get away with such a ridiculous action. But is it a newspaper’s role to bring that about? And if that is their aim should they be clear about that when they ask for their identities? What if it suited the news agenda better to interview them anonymously?
If the police knew who these guys were then I wouldn’t rate the press wading in but the NUS and the Met both don’t seem to have a clue so don’t see why the Telegraph can’t become some glorified extension of the neighbourhood watch brigade. Agree though that if their agenda is just to scoop an interview then that’s pretty low.
Bloody journos 😉
Looks like they’ve just arrested him…
By the way, like the blog page G x
Thanks Thomas. bloody journos indeed eh? I wonder if the papers had a role in getting him… x