The Edinburgh attacks and the question of 'two-tier journalism' - Left Foot Forward
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After the Edinburgh attacks, claims of "two-tier journalism" spread fast — the idea that media coverage shifts depending on who the suspect is.
Confirmation BiasFraming EffectConspiracy TheoryMedia Agenda-Setting
Theory Briefing
- The Edinburgh attacks triggered rapid online claims that journalists apply different standards based on a suspect's background.
- An MPs' report already examined near-identical "two-tier policing" claims after the Southport riots, finding them to be a right-wing conspiracy theory.
- The article draws a direct line between the policing narrative and a newer "two-tier journalism" framing, asking whether the same logic applies to media coverage.
- Both claims rest on the same core idea: that institutions treat people differently based on identity — a charge that is hard to prove or disprove from individual cases alone.