There were of course the inevitable rumours, untruths, half truths and factoids circulating – though in general the quality of information being shared turned out to be pretty good. The only aspect of the social media coverage that felt uncomfortable was when tweeters from outside the UK began to become involved in the coverage – either curating or reporting. It was of course entirely appropriate for them to so – but if there were occasional errors that’s where they tended to be found. Perhaps it is inevitable because they were operating at a distance and were unfamiliar with the geography or the story. Nor could they have the same resources and contacts that ‘local’ journalists had. And that’s a good lesson for all of us as we struggle with the issues that social newsgathering and social reporting raise.

BBC | BBC College of Journalism Blog – Getting news on the riots at home

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