The San Bernardino murders occurred on December 9, just 9 weeks after the Oregon student shootings. Would I be surprised if another mass shooting breaks out between the writing of this article and its publication? No problem. Because mass shootings have now become part of the American landscape.
We feel not only horrified but also powerless. What can we do to prevent these types of tragedies? We continue to call for better mental health services and at least a modicum of gun control. Such actions would help. But these are political issues that will not change overnight. They require changing attitudes, spending a lot of money, and creating systems at the national level to implement the changes.
So is there anything that can be done right now to help prevent or at least reduce the frequency of mass shootings?
Yes there are. And the answer is solidly backed up by psychological research. We need to demand that the media report these types of shootings in a non-sensational way. When they don’t, they turn the shooter into a media star. This is what many of these disturbed minds want.
Perhaps the most poignant example of this is the shooting in Roseburg, Oregon. When Sheriff John Hanlin announced the details of the shooting, he said “I won’t name the shooter…I won’t give him the credit he was probably looking for before this horrible and cowardly act.”
However, it wasn’t long before a CNN anchor took a different approach, boasting, “We know his name and we are reporting it. His name is (xxxx)… He himself is listed as (blog name xxxx). On his blog, he wrote: ‘When they shed a little blood, everyone knows it.’ who they are… It seems like the more people you kill, the more you’re in the spotlight.'”
The Oregon shooter was right about being in the spotlight. The names of the assassins of JFK, RFK and Lennon now live in infamy. By committing a heinous act, they elevated their status from “nobody” to “someone.” Recent murders have gone from killing high-level individuals to committing mass murder. Fashion is fickle… even when it’s deciding your style of murder.
These new murders are usually perpetrated by a person who is alienated, angry, and feels like a “nobody.” What do you do with those powerful feelings? He sits on them, for a period of time. So he takes action. The shape of the action is shaped more by what is outside it than by what is inside it.. That is, he decides what action to take by copying others. As he watches the media sensationalize the shootings, she discovers her path to fame. He just pulls the trigger and be “someone”.
So what is the media to do? Stop reporting these shootings? Of course not. The media must do their job. You need to cover the news but you don’t need to sensationalize the event. The media can practice, as we all must, moderation.
But this are sensational stories. What is the press doing wrong?
They are exaggerating the story, not reporting it. What is the difference? Let me paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who in describing his threshold test for pornography said: “I know it when I see it.”
Exaggerated reporting is when history repeats itself ad nauseam, peppered with interviews with bereaved family members, shocked bystanders, and even children on the scene.
Exaggerated reporting is when dramatic images are shown over and over again, along with creepy photos and any other piece of information that arouses our emotions.
Overreporting is when the goal is to hook the audience by revving up their emotions so the buzz doesn’t die down quickly.
But aren’t we, the listeners, also to blame? After all, are we the ultimate consumer, devouring these news, images and videos like juicy junk food? Of course, we have a role in this. Although we are not creating the hype, we are consuming it. But if we’re smart, we’ll demand that reporting on this epidemic of mass murder be done in an entirely different way.
What if the media set a policy of strict blackouts on advertising for these killers? No names, no photos, no identifying information, no interviews with relatives, neighbors, teachers, etc. Do you think this would decrease the frequency of such attacks? I make. And my opinion is supported by psychological science, which has documented that media coverage is contagious. This is true for mass shootings and suicides.
If you agree with me, get active. One immediate step you could take is to contact the media sources you watch, listen to, or read. Ask them to agree to this blackout. Tell them not to wait until the next mass murder. Do it now. Then ask your social media friends to do the same.
Then, an additional step you can take is to contact your legislators. Ask them to create laws that make blackouts mandatory. Is this crushing the freedom of the press? No, it’s crushing the freedom of mass murderers. Anyone against that?
© 2016
