The problem with the BBC’s Manchester bombing coverage

The BBC have reacted to the Manchester Arena bombing, carried out by an Islamist maniac, by providing us with a cautionary tale of how easy it is to be radicalised by…the extreme right.

The fifteen-year-old boy, named as John, who is featured in the online article describes how he was manipulated into ‘hating Islam’ by consuming hours of dodgy online content and eventually attending some demonstrations. 

‘To see Manchester attacked – a city where I spent a lot of time – really fuelled my anger,’ he said. ‘I stopped caring who knew about my involvement and moved from mainly speaking online to actively trying to recruit people and sharing propaganda.’

John was a plainly troubled young man in need of some solid parenting and guidance. But it is bizarre for the BBC to choose to highlight this story in the context of the conclusion of the Manchester Arena inquiry. The piece makes no mention of the hateful ideology that motivated Salman Abedi, the Manchester bomber.