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BBC UK

The real story of the website accused of fuelling Southport riots

BBC UK
Summary
Nutrition label

52% Informative

Channel3Now wrongly suggested the attacker was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat last year .

The false article gave a false name for the 17-year-old charged over the Southport attack was widely quoted in viral posts on X.com.

The BBC has tracked down several people linked to the site, including a hockey player and a man named Kevin from Houston , Texas .

Kevin said the site is a commercial operation and helps it generate income.

Kevin says the blame for the false Southport story cannot be laid squarely on a small Twitter account.

Channel3Now's incorrect story was cited by lots of social media accounts which made the false accusations go viral.

Several of these accounts were based in the UK and the US , and have a track record of posting disinformation.

VR Score

38

Informative language

30

Neutral language

28

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

46

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

no external sources

Source diversity

no sources

Affiliate links

no affiliate links