“It mentions that the MEN raised a million pounds for the emergency appeal in 24 hours. The final total raised was £2.5 million which was included in the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund of £20m that is helping the bereaved and those most affected.”
The review gave examples of how families felt about the behaviour of some journalists.
“At the hospitals, families attending to look for missing loved ones and visiting the injured described having to force their way through scrums of reporters who ‘wouldn’t take no for an answer’,” it says.
“A member of staff on her ward spoke of a note offering £2,000 for information being included in a tin of biscuits given to the staff.”
It said the panel was “shocked and dismayed” to hear of the way families approached by certain sections of media in a way that was “completely unacceptable”.
One family member said: “The information in the Manchester Evening News was correct but when national Press picked it up, it would change.”
Another described their local press as “amazing”.
The review makes a number of recommendations in relation to the media, including that the Independent Press Standards Organisation – the Press regulator – introduce new guidelines on reporting the aftermath of terror attacks.
Irvine added: “I am pleased to see that there is a recommendation that statutory responders should engage with local trusted Press and broadcasters as key participants in planning and rehearsing responses to major incidents.
“The MEN played a key role in helping communicating the facts to the public and we also gave a voice to the people of Greater Manchester who rallied together and around those affected by this atrocity.”
