| | | Vanessa Sims | | Lancashire Post Editor |
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reader It is a fascinating experience for any professional journalist to watch how big breaking stories are ‘reported’ in the world of social media. Undoubtedly the online world is a very valuable resource for information and useful leads in trying to accurately report news like the awful knife attack in Southport. But it is also clear a huge number of people taking to the likes of Twitter/X and Facebook are not only oblivious to the laws of the land but also seemingly unaware that his legislation applies to them every bit as much as the media. Anyone identifying the teenager charged with murdering the three little girls, before permission was granted by the courts, would have risked a hefty fine and yet his name was out there in defiance of the law on social media. This ignorance was compounded by those who saw a conspiracy between police, courts and the media in adhering to the law and not naming the youth we now know to be Axel Rudakubana from Lancashire. It seems obvious some bad actors have exploited this for their own ends and it is to be hoped the authorities will be taking a look at this, in all of its forms. What does seem increasingly needed in this age of misinformation is to find a way to help the public better understand the world they live in. Not just in terms of criminal law but how local and central government works, the health system, privatised utilities and all other areas of public life. Perhaps it is time schools taught such subjects as it seems such a basic requirement that everyone should understand the world around them, who makes decisions, how and within what terms, not least so they can make informed decisions at election time. Last week we saw the spectacle of an MP demanding the Home Secretary bring charges in the Manchester Airport assault case when he really should know that is the role of the Crown Prosecution Service. As social media continues to grow - should children be taught how to keep themselves and others legally safe online? Let me know your thoughts at vanessa.sims@lep.co.uk Best wishes Vanessa Sims, Editor Lancashire Post | 