As tech barons dial up the spreading of lies, why is the BBC dialling down the reporting of truth? | John Harris

A damning report shows how local news cuts stymied coverage of the riots in Plymouth. What fills the vacuum? Misinformation

On 4 August 2024, the riots and disturbances that followed the killing of three children in Southport, on Merseyside, spread even further. That day, in the midst of a seething mess of far-right misinformation and rumour-mongering, the violence hit Rotherham - where people tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum-seekers - as well as Middlesbrough and Bolton. Serving notice of his new interest in UK affairs, Elon Musk posted a picture of violence in Liverpool on X with a characteristically measured caption: Civil war is inevitable." And 24 hours later, the wave of unrest reached the city of Plymouth.

It gripped the city centre throughout the evening of 5 August. To quote from the Guardian's report, 150 officers in riot gear and with dogs sought to keep apart far-right rioters and Stand Up to Racism demonstrators". Other people turned out to defend a mosque. Bricks, bottles and fireworks were thrown. Six people were arrested, several police officers were injured, and two members of the public ended up in hospital: one local officer said the events were unprecedented".

John Harris is a Guardian columnist