London/UK Riots Coverage (Sky News/BBC News Channel)

No. Given that every newspaper is covered with pictures of burning buildings, and Twitter is flooded with news, opinions and even calls to action - encouraging looting, violence and targeting police - the suggestion that the news channels have a responsibility to avoid keeping viewers informed, in case someone sees something that encourages them to join in, is frankly stupid. Spectacularly stupid. Completely devoid of intelligence and reason.

The kinds of people that are minded to take these sorts of illegal actions are not the kinds of people that rely on news channel coverage - these people will already be on Twitter or BBM or texting/calling their friends, actively looking for ways to join in.

Just come on Twitter...

There's tweets saying that trouble is starting up in Brixton as well.

I don't know why I need to ask myself that more than you or anybody else - but I can tell you that it's not a question that can easily be answered, and now certainly isn't the time for that kind of philosophising to enter the editorial decisions made by news channels.

The reasons that people watch the news can range from a genuine need for information, to being 'transfixed' by the sheer awfulness of events as they unfold, and perhaps for some viewers, a level of schadenfruede that makes people feel better about their own lives, or pure, mindless entertainment and enjoyment of anarchic or violent scenes, as you suggest.

But to argue that a small minority of viewers may derive some perverse pleasure from seeing something shouldn't mean that the rest of the audience should be denied it. That would be as illogical as banning all children from being shown on television because a tiny portion of society might 'get off' on seeing them; or banning all violent scenes in films or dramas because some people argue that they promote or even incite violence.

Another tweet from Paul Lewis of The Guardian.....

@PaulLewis Fundamental Christians following kids round saying "Your blood is in Jesus." #EdmontonGreen http://yfrog.com/ki3zqflj

Bloody idiots!!!

Reports are saying riots in Dalston as well?

I can't believe the BBC News channel and Sky News are ignoring it as if nothing is happening, its like a small war is Breaking out in London... but everything is tickerdy-boo. Now, I know they don't want to fuel the fire - but most 'youths' as they describe them some how I don't think would go 'Oh, where shall we loot - what shall we do... check out Twitter or the BBC News channel to see where to go next...'

Its getting very serious in London, situation wise, from Tweets I've seen from Journo's on scene there.

I wonder if the Police told Sky/BBC to be careful/play it down to not encourage a situation to become worse, but totally ignoring it - me thinks will encourage the situation to escalate as people will think their actions are being ignored.

LBC 97.3 are however covering it, with a live phone in too asking for eye witness reports.

Surely nowadays if Journo's think it's unsafe to report from there, Most smartphones have the ability to Skype these days, and the quality is pretty good on a 3G signal. Wouldn't this be a little less conspicuous then doing a live link from the scene with a camera??

Media blackout anyone?

Was just thinking that myself, seems to be no live reports at all coming from Sky or BBC, Journo's on Twitter have gotten awfully quiet as well.

Not quite - the first live coverage for some time finally emerged at midnight. Sky News had their correspondent live on camera in Enfield town centre from the TOTH; from 0010 to 0015 on BBC News, there was a live phone interview with local Enfield community figure Ben Maloney, who had witnessed some of the clashes in the area, and clarified that the situation appeared to be far from over. BBC News also used some of the photos that Maloney had tweeted.

Who would impose that and how?