Survivors and Families Urge UK Media to Adopt Stricter Guidelines for Terror Attack Coverage

Survivors of terror attacks and families of victims are calling for stricter media guidelines in the United Kingdom, following distressing incidents where bereaved individuals learned of deaths through reporters instead of authorities.

A new reporting code, backed by policing officials, victims’ families, and media professionals, urges news outlets to avoid approaching bereaved families during the first 48 hours following a terror-related loss. Instead, journalists are asked to coordinate inquiries through police channels and avoid assembling outside victims’ homes. The voluntary guidelines, compiled by the group Survivors Against Terror, are being released ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 7 July London bombings.

The code also asks newsrooms to reduce the emphasis placed on the identities, photos, and manifestos of attackers, to avoid giving notoriety to those who carry out acts of terror. Supporters say the focus should remain on victims, survivors, and public safety rather than inadvertently elevating the attackers’ profiles.

Ella Young, a survivor of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, recounted her experience of being approached by a journalist while waiting for medical attention after the attack. Believing the man was offering help to contact her husband, she later discovered he was gathering information for a story. In the following days, she was persistently contacted for interviews despite refusing. Young eventually changed her phone number, social media accounts, and email to avoid further intrusion.

Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, shared that her young daughter was informed of her brother’s death by a journalist who knocked on their door. Murray has since become an advocate for improved practices, stating that lessons from past attacks must lead to better protections for grieving families.

Also backing the new code is Darryn Frost, who intervened during the 2019 London Bridge attack using a narwhal tusk to confront the assailant. That incident, in which eight people were killed, highlighted the traumatic aftermath survivors endure, often intensified by media pressure.

While the current Editors’ Code of Practice, overseen by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), calls for sensitivity in cases of grief, its terms are considered too broad by campaigners. Not all media outlets are bound by Ipso’s rules, and several, including major national titles, maintain their internal standards.

Advocates of the new guidelines argue that more specific protections are needed to prevent future harm and ensure survivors and families are treated with respect during their most vulnerable moments.

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