This Former Terrorist Attack Victim Wrote An Open Letter To The Media About How To Handle The Manchester Bombing

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After the attack in Manchester on May 22, the event has dominated the news. Even social media feeds are full of tweets, articles and photos concerning the bombing and its victims. And while it’s good that people are talking about the things going on in the world, it’s also important to remember how it affects others — namely, the victims.

In light of the attack, Twitter user Em came forward to talk about her own experiences with a terrorist incident. But instead of explaining how the event itself affected her, she talked about the media’s role in her traumatization.

The media wanted to contact her for the story, but what they did made the situation ten times worse.

She went on to list the way the media had harassed her after the “terrorist incident”, when she was still trying to process what had happened.

While journalists wanted to put together a narrative for their readers, they left Em feeling traumatized.

She also left this link for journalists who might be reporting on the Manchester attack.

Em wasn’t alone. Several victims of other terrorist incidents had similar experiences with the media.

https://twitter.com/mrmitchell78/status/866963064310169600

People on Twitter applauded Em for coming forward, including a few familiar faces.

It’s something we should all think about, not just as journalists but as people who have social media and other mediums to share information. Not only should we work at being less intrusive, but we should carefully consider how the things we post could affect people who are in the process of healing. It’s a difficult time for everyone right now — let’s all be as sensitive as we can.