Manchester attack

At least 22 people, including children, were killed in Monday night’s attack in Manchester, England. The bomb ripped through an arena following a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) has claimed responsibility.

In the aftermath of the attack, social media was flooded with outpourings of grief, help but also misinformation. Hashtags of support and unity were trending around the world. Residents of the city tweeted with #RoomForManchester offering shelter for people displaced. But among those posts was extreme disinformation – for example, pictures of people who were not in the area and fake accounts of “eyewitnesses.” In this rapidly changing situation it has added layers of complication and chaos.

On this episode we’ll examine the conversation about the Manchester attack on social media and help our community sift through it all. Join us at 19:30GMT.

Joining The Stream:

Rabnawaz Akbar @RabnawazA
Labour councillor, Rusholme 
manchester.gov.uk

Mike Adamson @MichaelAdamson5
CEO, British Red Cross

Alastair Reid @ajreid
Social media journalist, Press Association

David Clinch @DavidClinchNews 
Global news editor, Storyful

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