Anatomy of a Moral Panic – How the Daily Mail Turns Assault Victims into Villains
An evidence-based analysis of manufactured outrage, and the weaponisation of child safety rhetoric
On 27 December 2025, the Daily Mail published what appears to be a straightforward news report: "Naked cycling campaigners hire security as public rebel against sight of grown adults pedalling through British cities clothes-free." The headline suggests mass public uprising. But buried in the eighth paragraph is the actual story: a 59-year-old man exercising his lawful rights was violently assaulted whilst participating in a legal protest event. This is a textbook example of how moral panic narratives are constructed in contemporary media.
Read more →