The way mass media portrays criminals is completly ridiculous. The media takes the criminal, makes them infamous and pretty much inspires others to follow suit. This is the complete polar opposite of what the media should be doing when these events occur. The public deserves to know when a tragedy such as a mass murder occurs but the report should be just like any other story on the news program/in the paper and just state the facts. A forensic psychiatrist who was interviewed by a news program covering a mass murder outlined some key points which i believe all media outlets should be following
- Don't start the story with sirens blaring.
- Don't have photographs of the killer.
- Don't make this 24/7 coverage.
- Do everything you can not to make the body count the lead story.
- Not to make the killer some kind of anti-hero.
- Do localise this story to the affected community and as boring as possible in every other market.
What? this list describe nearly every murder story ever published?...
I rest my case
P.S I am also sick and tired of so called"news reporters" force feeding me their opinions on particular events when they should be just be reporting the facts.
Tell us how you really feel!
ReplyDeleteYeww well said.