Difference between revisions of "2008 Counter-Terrorism advertising campaign"
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* “Thousands of people take pictures every day. What if one of them seems odd?” | * “Thousands of people take pictures every day. What if one of them seems odd?” | ||
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==Criticims== | ==Criticims== | ||
Revision as of 10:59, 23 November 2009
![]() This article is part of the Counter-Terrorism Portal project of Spinwatch. |
In 2008, the Metropolitan Police and the police forces of Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands launched a five-week poster and radio campaign to get members of the public to report any “suspicious behaviour” they may have encountered in their daily lives to the Anti-Terrorist hotline. The slogans of the campaign were – “if you suspect it, report it” and “Terrorists won’t succeed if someone reports suspicious activity – you are that somebody”.[1]
The campaign became known for its poster campaign, which had simplistic and wide-sweeping slogans such as:
- “Thousands of people have mobiles. What if someone with several seems suspicious?”
- “You see hundreds of houses every day. What if one has unusual activity and seems suspicious?”
- “Thousands of people take pictures every day. What if one of them seems odd?”
Criticims
The anti-terror campaign has led to some serious criticism for the police services, who, it has been argued, were through their adverts, exaggerating the threat and encouraging people in their everyday lives to spy on their neighbours and fellow citizens without any justifiable reason.
Critics have also argued that the entire campaign is aimed at the wrong people and that “raising awareness of the threat will only increase the fear and stress of the daily commute. If we must have an advertising campaign, maybe it is time to bring back the "Keep calm and carry on" posters from retirement."[2]
In response to the poster campagin, many people have manipulated the posters to show their wide-sweeping remit and ambiguity.
Notes
- ↑ 2006 Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Advertising Campaign Launched
- ↑ Jeremy Kuper, Join the Snooper Troopers, Comment is Free, 6 April 2009