Media Reaction
The original assault was mainly covered by the local media, but Lancaster's death two weeks later was mentioned on national television and widely covered by national newspapers. The attack was discussed in the media in connection with a wave of youth gang related violence in the UK, over the summer of 2007, including the murder of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones. Conservative leader David Cameron mentioned the attack as an example in a "speech criticising youth crime and Britain’s 'real and growing' problem with violence." Since then coverage has mainly been restricted to the local press and the internet, except the funeral which received wider coverage. In February, 2008 The Observer compared the limited amount of coverage the Sophie Lancaster case received to the large amount of coverage worldwide which the media paid to the case of discrimination faced by a Yorkshire goth couple who were thrown off a bus.
The trial in March 2008 saw extensive coverage in national media. On 13 March 2008 Bizarre magazine launched a "Proud to be Different" campaign in honour of Sophie.
There are a large number of Facebook groups dedicated to Sophie Lancaster. With the exception of the one for "Sophie Lancaster Foundation," none of these are official, and nearly all focus on the tragedy of her death.
On 26 November 2009, which would have been Lancaster's 23rd birthday, a 4 minute animation named Dark Angel, based on the murder was released onto the internet and shown on MTV. The film was also projected onto a screen in the Cathedral Gardens in Manchester.
In July 2010 the book Weirdo Mosher Freak by journalist Catherine Smyth was published about the murder.
On 11 March 2011 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the play Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster, consisting of poems by Simon Armitage telling the story of Sophie's life, combined with the personal recollections of her mother. The role of Sophie was played by Rachel Austin.
Read more about this topic: Murder Of Sophie Lancaster
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