The coverage TERRIFIES me.
In my state, for example, since research clealy demonstrated links between news reports about suicide (and even depictions of them in TV shows, like popular soaps) and clusters of further suicides, the media no longer report them, except in very newsworthy situations.
While nothing will stop media from reporting news like the events at Virginia, the type of saturation coverage we see seems to me to be a clarion call for on the edge people to decompensate and copy.
Re: Is the news media glorifying the VT shootings?
kickycan wrote:I'm talking specifically about the showing of the contents of the package that he sent to NBC. I realize that this stuff will probably come out anyway, and that the public really REALLY wants to see what was in that package, but isn't it also in a way glorifying/validating the guy's actions and giving him exactly what he wanted?
For instance, the image of him pointing a gun at the camera is on just about every news site I see online, and the video clips of his rantings are starting to show up everywhere as well. And his writing.
I realize how fascinating it is to try to get inside this nutball's head, but is there any way to put the news out there about him without giving him rock star status? Is it even possible?
I wonder how long until this stuff shows up on murderauction.com or one of those other disgusting sites.
It is their job to report the news.
Its not their job to censor it.
David