Media coverage influencing shootings? - 20 views

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  #4 Nate Vogel on 25 Apr 13

   

  I think the big problem with the media coverage is the amount of coverage. All news channels stop reporting everything else and focus on the shooting, for days, and even weeks, until the story won't bring them the ratings anymore. The amount of time spent by the news media might be the tipping point for another shooter. Someone who is insane and would even think about shooting a school or public place might think "I'll go down in the history books forever, people will finally remember me."

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I think the big problem with the media coverage is the amount of coverage. All news channels stop reporting everything else and focus on the shooting, for days, and even weeks, until the story won't bring them the ratings anymore. The amount of time spent by the news media might be the tipping point for another shooter. Someone who is insane and would even think about shooting a school or public place might think "I'll go down in the history books forever, people will finally remember me."</div>

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  #5 jasmine caputo on 25 Apr 13

   

  I honestly think that it can almost encourage these events to repeat themselves through media. Throughout history there have been media covered shootings or murders that have been repeated shortly after. This has happened after the murdering of the Clutter family there was another identical incident after it was in the news, and also after the Sandy Hook incident, where a few days later, two boys were caught before they were also going replicate the same thing at a different elementary school. While it is dangerous to put these things in the media and it does have an influence on other potential incidents, unfortunately there is no way around the coverage and no way to avoid writing about it.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I honestly think that it can almost encourage these events to repeat themselves through media. Throughout history there have been media covered shootings or murders that have been repeated shortly after. This has happened after the murdering of the Clutter family there was another identical incident after it was in the news, and also after the Sandy Hook incident, where a few days later, two boys were caught before they were also going replicate the same thing at a different elementary school. While it is dangerous to put these things in the media and it does have an influence on other potential incidents, unfortunately there is no way around the coverage and no way to avoid writing about it.</div>

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  #9 Billie Mandelbaum on 26 Apr 13

   

  I think this article can be applied to the media coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. Immediately following the attack and release of the suspect's names, media outlets started to speculate on the suspect's motives, background, and mental state. Many news channels, such as CNN, held "exclusive" interviews with family members, in an attempt to somehow conclude what motivated the alleged bombers to carry out their attack. As Dave Cullen writes in this article, most speculation carried out by the public and media is wrong as the "killer is rarely who he seems." Interestingly enough, following Dzokhar Tsarnev's arrest, Obama, during a press conference, advised Americans "not to rush to judgement, not about the motivations of these individuals and certainly not about entire groups of people." Just because these bombers carried out a terrible attack, does not give the public or the media the right to speculate and judge.
  
  On a side note, I highly recommend Dave Cullen's (the author of this article) book: Columbine.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I think this article can be applied to the media coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. Immediately following the attack and release of the suspect's names, media outlets started to speculate on the suspect's motives, background, and mental state. Many news channels, such as CNN, held "exclusive" interviews with family members, in an attempt to somehow conclude what motivated the alleged bombers to carry out their attack. As Dave Cullen writes in this article, most speculation carried out by the public and media is wrong as the "killer is rarely who he seems." Interestingly enough, following Dzokhar Tsarnev's arrest, Obama, during a press conference, advised Americans "not to rush to judgement, not about the motivations of these individuals and certainly not about entire groups of people." Just because these bombers carried out a terrible attack, does not give the public or the media the right to speculate and judge. <br /> <br /> On a side note, I highly recommend Dave Cullen's (the author of this article) book: Columbine.</div>

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  #10 Holly Parkin on 28 Apr 13

   

  I think that the media has been pretty decent in their coverage of events like the Boston Marathon - what encourages people to commit these kinds of atrocities is the fact that the media sensationalizes stories rather than just reporting them. They don't necessarily glorify the killers, but, as Nate pointed out, they put way too much focus on the event above others and publicize tragedies to the point where people will think that they could be famous, too. I believe that the media should focus less on the drama of the story and get at the real heart of these tragedies. How can we prevent them? How are they caused? Reporting on the story in a way that offers new insight as well as a simple relay of the facts is much more important than turning the story into a way to gain readers and viewers.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I think that the media has been pretty decent in their coverage of events like the Boston Marathon - what encourages people to commit these kinds of atrocities is the fact that the media sensationalizes stories rather than just reporting them. They don't necessarily glorify the killers, but, as Nate pointed out, they put way too much focus on the event above others and publicize tragedies to the point where people will think that they could be famous, too. I believe that the media should focus less on the drama of the story and get at the real heart of these tragedies. How can we prevent them? How are they caused? Reporting on the story in a way that offers new insight as well as a simple relay of the facts is much more important than turning the story into a way to gain readers and viewers.</div>

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  #11 Jordan B on 29 Apr 13

   

  I think that media coverage plays an extremely important part in the public's perception of events. While I think that the Boston bombings have been covered fairly well overall, news stations have been extremely quick to utilize any information that they think they might have. This can lead to mass public misconceptions which always needs to be monitored. Making sure that the public's view is fair and accurate is the news station's job, and it's important to keep that in mind when presenting the news. People's opinions are easily influenced, and by perpetuating stereotypes it can lead to blaming of the wrong suspect and public persecution.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I think that media coverage plays an extremely important part in the public's perception of events. While I think that the Boston bombings have been covered fairly well overall, news stations have been extremely quick to utilize any information that they think they might have. This can lead to mass public misconceptions which always needs to be monitored. Making sure that the public's view is fair and accurate is the news station's job, and it's important to keep that in mind when presenting the news. People's opinions are easily influenced, and by perpetuating stereotypes it can lead to blaming of the wrong suspect and public persecution.</div>

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