Wednesday, March 22nd, has impacted London deeply. The attack on Parliament in Westminster came as shock to the city, happening out of nowhere. With the suddenness of this came rapid-fire news updates from many news media outlets, members of Parliament, and citizens on the scene. Unfortunately, not only were important and accurate news updates coming through, there were also several “fake news” sources contributing to the mass of information being produced.
The output of fake news during an event like this is very harmful to the public. Not only is it poor journalism, fake news creates more panic and upset ultimately adding to the terror and anxiety that tragedy creates. In terms of the attack on Westminster, most news organizations were contributing as many accurate facts as they could, while other news outlets were spewing whatever kind of information they could to contribute to the buzz. However, producing false facts has led to the spread of misinformation mostly about the victims of the attack and the attacker involved.
Popular public figures and the public then saw this false information, allowing for it to reach farther while adding opinions of their own. In doing so, after the attack there was no accurate representation of what happened in Westminster and to reiterate, there was more panic and upset created by this. Now that the situation has been resolved, major news organizations produced articles outlining the attack with accurate details.
Here is a compiled breakdown of what occurred:
• The attack happened around 14:40 pm, on Wednesday March 22nd.
• According to various news mediums the attack lasted only 82 seconds.
• In this span of time 5 people died, including the attacker, and more than 30 people on the bridge were injured.
• The attacker drove a car through the crowd of pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before colliding with the perimeter barrier of the Palace of Westminster.
• The attacker then left the vehicle wielding a knife, and attempting to enter Parliament.
• Confronted by police, the attacker stabbed an unarmed officer before other armed officers shot the assailant, ultimately stopping the attack.
It’s important to have all the facts when writing, broadcasting, and reading the news. It is especially important when dealing with more pressing critical news and tragedies, like what happened last Wednesday in Westminster. The cultivation of habits like this, which in larger news outlets they already have, creates better and more reliable content for the public. In doing this, fake news will eventually (and hopefully) die out.
Despite the events that have transpired, London is thriving. Our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy and to the family members of the victims who have died and are in critical condition. London still stands, and will continue to do so no matter what is thrown its way.

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