Surviving the Media: Hillsborough, Dunblane and the press

This article explores UK press reporting in the immediate aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 and the shootings at Dunblane Primary School in 1996. Although the circumstances surrounding each tragedy were very different, both resulted in the death and injury of many innocent victims. However, press reporting of Hillsborough added to the burden of grief of the bereaved and survivors through its hostile portrayal of Liverpool football supporters and the clear suggestion of their culpability for events. By contrast, coverage of the Dunblane tragedy was markedly more compassionate in its response to those most directly affected. An explanation of the divergent tone and style of reporting of both these traumatic events involves an examination of the complex interplay between issues relating to the political economy of news production, the role of ?official discourse?, hierarchies of media access and regulatory mechanisms governing the press.