According to Mark Twain “a lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,” and recent riots in the United Kingdom have provided another example of the impact of the distribution of false information can have upon communities. This has seen riots in several cities involving violent clashes with police and the attacking of hotels that house asylum seekers following the wide-scale broadcasting of false rumours relating to a horrific knife attack that circulated on social media.

Image: Sunderland, UK – August 3rd 2024: Police stand guard at the Sunderland Citizens Advice Bureau after it is burnt out following a night of rioting by the Far-Right (Shutterstock)

Produced By: Stephen Hill

Featured In Story: Professor Terry Flew, Department of Digital Communication and Culture, University of Sydney

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 7 August 2024