If a paper describes its area of coverage as a "War Zone" what would you expect to be going on ?
A couple of years ago I travelled to Palestine's West Bank, walked around the very beautiful Old City of Jerusalem with young Israeli soldiers on street corners, manning the checkpoints I used into/out of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and had if you like a taste of a 'war zone'. Even that is not strictly speaking a war zone though, is it.
Anyone who has been in one will smile at you if you think otherwise.
The "War Zone" referred to above is Southwark, so-called after three murders took place in quick succession a week ago. The local paper, determined to capture the fear (and therefore spread it), is excellent in many ways but always tends to sacrifice its front page, the selling page, to hype fear and thereby maximises the potential for cranking up anxiety. They don't think they are doing this, of course. Is that a defence ? Just as they claim they are giving the public what it wants. Their sales figures presumably back up this assertion.
To dub Southwark a 'war zone' is in my view a public health issue. For whilst we are stressed by recent events, normal life is palpably carrying on. I see no armoured personnel carriers on street corners etc. Vulnerable people, those depressed, aged and infirm, the young and those of unformed minds, all are susceptible to the crazy gloom hype of tabloid culture and desparate selling. The work of such journalism is not in our general interest, though of course neither is it an option not to keep us informed of important events on our doorstep.
"Southwark feels like a war zone - so what shall we do about it ?"
That might make a challenging and truthful headline. Seeking out the positive, even in the most difficult of circumstances.