How comment journalism helps us make sense of tragedies like the London Bridge attack

Sometimes, the best means of understanding why we feel the way we do, or how some narratives gain traction, is to consume the opinions of others after horrific incidents like these

Flowers are laid down for the victims of Friday’s attack (Reuters)

Whenever something as horrific as an attack on innocent people occurs, the minutes, hours and days following can feel muddled, to put it mildly.

Rumours about the supposed ins and outs of what really happened do the rounds on social media, warnings about those falsehoods spread even further, and all the while we’re left to try to make sense of what is – regardless of what did or didn’t happen – an undeniably tragic set of circumstances.

While reports on the events as they unfold are an excellent way of staying informed, sometimes, the best means of understanding why we feel the way we do, or how some narratives gain traction, is to consume the opinions of others.