Media, Please Stop Giving Mass Murderers the Attention They Want
Media outlets,
This is the only statement you needed to make today about the mass murderer in DC.
"The mass murderer is dead. Out of respect for the victims and their families and to not give media attention to the perpetrator, we will not be discussing the killer."
Here is the only photo of the killer you needed to run with the story.
Mass murders will continue as long as the media encourages perpetrators by giving them the infamy they crave. Please, all media outlets, for the sake those innocent people you will put in danger in the future by aiding and abetting the desires of mass murderers, change how you handle the coverage of these crimes.
Thank you.
Criminal Profiler Pat Brown
This is the only statement you needed to make today about the mass murderer in DC.
"The mass murderer is dead. Out of respect for the victims and their families and to not give media attention to the perpetrator, we will not be discussing the killer."
Here is the only photo of the killer you needed to run with the story.
Mass murders will continue as long as the media encourages perpetrators by giving them the infamy they crave. Please, all media outlets, for the sake those innocent people you will put in danger in the future by aiding and abetting the desires of mass murderers, change how you handle the coverage of these crimes.
Thank you.
Criminal Profiler Pat Brown
2 comments:
I of course agree with you wholeheartedly that the media irresponsibly creates unnecessary frenzies by constantly reporting on such types who are not really newsworthy. And it's wrong for them
to do so.
But regardless of whether or not they report it, mass murder will continue regardless because mass
murder is not exclusive to the attention seeking type who kills for infamy. That is just one of several other motivational types.
More focus should be centered on the unfortunate victims involved however, and information on the killers should be scant to nothing other than as you said "they're dead. good riddance. one less in the world."
I can see the value of compiling information on the mass murderer for the purpose of case studies and nomothetic research; but it's senseless to give them Folk-hero status or try turning their case into a "poor little timmy didnt get hugs and had anger problems" thing.
It's about sensationalism, and shock value. We live in a mostly sick and twisted society that gets off on the misery and misfortunes of others. People can argue reasons until they're blue in the face but it does nothing to change the phenomenon. People react to problems that call for proactive measures. It's unlikely to change.
The same goes for acts of terrorism. They all thrive on the famous "oxygen of publicity". The selective nature of media reporting also distorts the true risks to individuals making them unnecessarily fearful and perpetuating the highly-damaging 'gun-culture' of the USA which seems entirely based on selfish and inaccurate fears.
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