The Support Hub for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism can help you navigate the media, ensuring you feel protected and heard if you want to share your story.
Options for handling media attention
Choosing to speak to the media is a deeply personal decision.
If you want to contact the media proactively to share your experience, you can speak to the Support Hub, your caseworker or police Family Liaison Officer – if you have one – for advice.
Whenever you’re dealing with journalists, you cannot control what they choose to write. This can make dealing with the media difficult and emotional, whether you actively want to speak with them or they’re trying to speak to you.
If you’re approached by a journalist, tell them you do not want to speak to them or be photographed. Under the Editors’ Code of Practice, they must stop once asked.
If they try to call you, you could also consider changing your answerphone message to say that only personal callers should leave a message as you do not wish to speak to the media.
You could consider preparing a written statement, so that you can refer any journalists to it if they approach you.
If you do not want any contact from journalists, you can contact the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) – the independent regulator of the UK’s newspapers and magazines. You can ask them to issue a ‘privacy advisory notice’, which will inform reporters that individuals or families do not want contact with journalists.
If you need advice, you can speak to the Support Hub, your caseworker or police Family Liaison Officer if you have one – particularly if media attention becomes intrusive or you feel harassed.
If you feel physically threatened or in immediate danger, call the police.
If you feel harassed, you can report the journalist to the most appropriate regulator. For example, if they’re a print journalist you can report them to the IPSO or if they’re working for TV or radio (broadcast media), you can report them to Ofcom.
IPSO has a 24-hour emergency harassment helpline if you believe you’re being harassed.
If you need guidance, you can contact the Support Hub or your caseworker.
Dealing with media attention
Following a terrorist incident, the media may focus on you, your family or friends – or, if you’ve been bereaved, the family member who died. This can sometimes involve unwanted or upsetting attention.
The amount of media attention people receive varies. Some experience a lot of interest, while others receive very little or none at all. This does not reflect the importance of what you have been through.
Journalists may try to contact you, your family, or friends for a comment or information about what happened.
You do not have to make any comment to the media if you do not want to. It is your choice. Some people want to share their story with the media while others want their experiences to remain as private as possible.
The media may also try to contact you at different stages. For example, they may want to speak with you immediately after the incident took place, in the weeks or months afterwards, during an investigation, or during or after a trial if one takes place.
Useful links
You can find more information about dealing with the media at the following links: