The Media is an Accomplice in Public Shootings

[Geosurface]

Not you in particular...but the group of people who claim personal responsibility always blame someone else for causing the problems when it goes against something that they are for or like. It's never just the fault of the asshole that did the deed (or so it seems). It couldn't be this guy's fault, he learned it from watching the media coverage of past massacres.

Fair point.

I personally do lay the responsibility squarely at the individual's feet.

People keep pressuring and pressuring for suggestions of what can be done, I've primarily said nothing can or should be done but when pressed, I do point out the fact that media coverage is sensationalistic and feeds into the fame motive here.

But I've also said I don't support any infringement on their free speech.

 

[lopri]

Just as more guns are the solution to gun violences, more sensationalism (i.e. speech) is the counter to sensationalism.

 

[Theb]

If station A isn't providing up to the minute gory details people are going to switch to station B. If station A gets a gruesome shot or uncovers some detail before station B does they're going to win eyeballs.

Is it the media's fault? I think a little bit, but I also think it's a little bit McDonald's fault that their customers are fat. I think the bulk of the blame belongs on the shoulders of the people who demand the product in this format. The aggregate is 'we will judge you for not making these changed, but we will switch to a competitor as soon as you make the changes we demand.'

If you guys can fix that would you also stop people from slowing down to gawk at traffic accidents? Some of us are in a hurry.

 

[sactoking]

The culpability for events such as these lands squarely at the feet of the perpetrators. Yet every time these things happen the "discussion" inevitably focuses on the wrong things. Most often, gun control becomes the topic of conversation, as it appears it will be this time as well. Fairly frequently though the media's role becomes a topic as well.

I find it interesting that in many cases, those most willing to condemn guns for the role they play are most willing to absolve the media for the role they play, and vice versa.

I have been involved in some untimely and tragic deaths in my youth. My senior year in high school two acquaintances were killed in an auto accident. A month or two later, a friend was killed in a separate auto accident. A month later my best friend committed suicide. Nine months later an acquaintance was killed in an auto accident.

The three friends and acquaintances killed in the first two auto accidents were honor in ceremonies during school hours. The fourth acquaintance, a football player, eventually had the football stadium named in his honor (even though he was killed in a singe-car accident with alcohol in his system). The fifth, my best friend, was effectively wiped from the school's records.

During our grief counseling we were repeatedly told that the school district would not recognize my friend for fear that other students, who were allegedly suicidal, would see that as an "honorable" way out. It was very difficult to handle, as a child, to have the adults act in a way that was so uncaring. Over the years, as I've healed on my own, I've come to realize that while the adults were grossly incompetent in how they handled things, the basic premise was sound.

Count me in the camp that believes the media needs to look itself in the mirror and ask if its' collective actions benefits society in these circumstances.

I can dial up cnn.com right now and find no less than 17 stories on the Newtown tragedy. Yahoo.com features 18 Newtown-related stories on their landing page. NBC cut away from Sunday Night Football to carry the President's address, then resumed coverage with a teaser for Monday's continued "all-day" coverage.

If suicide is treated with kid gloves, an act which typically takes one life, why is mass murder or mass-murder suicide not subject to the same treatment? Is it responsible journalism to give murderers hundreds of collective hours of airtime, to have their names and exploits discussed and compared like home run totals? Why does law enforcement fear copycat acts after nationally televised incidents such as this? Because overblown national media attention appears to those in need of help to be the solution to all of their problems.

 

[monovillage]

They turned Kliebold and Harris from Columbine into heroes or anti-heroes if you will. How many times I saw those guys posing all cool in their dusters on TV. The media turned them into stars, they got a movie and TV episodes based on their actions. Is anyone really surprised that after all the fawning the media gave them that it continues to happen?

There are a handful of anti-guns lefties in this forum that are almost orgasmic over the most recent killing of schoolchildren. They're so pleased and happy that a political cause they believe in has new impetus that they're almost stroking themselves in satisfaction.

 

[IGBT]

the fundamental operating principal of liberal news media is "bad news sells". And if you can't find any bad news just make it up and package it in action lines and sound bites. Bounce them off the other "anchors" in the news org. until it has a life of it's own.

 

[her209]

Blame the people that watch the news. If the news didn't report what the people want to hear/see about, they would seek it elsewhere. The news is only giving the masses what they want.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

They turned Kliebold and Harris from Columbine into heroes or anti-heroes if you will. How many times I saw those guys posing all cool in their dusters on TV. The media turned them into stars, they got a movie and TV episodes based on their actions. Is anyone really surprised that after all the fawning the media gave them that it continues to happen?

There are a handful of anti-guns lefties in this forum that are almost orgasmic over the most recent killing of schoolchildren. They're so pleased and happy that a political cause they believe in has new impetus that they're almost stroking themselves in satisfaction.

Again, you re-affirm your role as one of this forum's most cheerfully vapid, brain-dead trolls. With that in mind:

 

[FerrelGeek]

Whereas you've never had any, and likely never will.

LOL. Incorruptible is always the pot calling the kettle black.

At least you realize that Jhhnn is a kettle.

 

[FerrelGeek]

They turned Kliebold and Harris from Columbine into heroes or anti-heroes if you will. How many times I saw those guys posing all cool in their dusters on TV. The media turned them into stars, they got a movie and TV episodes based on their actions. Is anyone really surprised that after all the fawning the media gave them that it continues to happen?

There are a handful of anti-guns lefties in this forum that are almost orgasmic over the most recent killing of schoolchildren. They're so pleased and happy that a political cause they believe in has new impetus that they're almost stroking themselves in satisfaction.

Again, you re-affirm your role as one of this forum's most cheerfully vapid, brain-dead trolls. With that in mind:

Whether you like it or not, Don, there's some truth to what he said. Just because you don't like the messenger (your right, of course) doesn't mean that there isn't some validity to the message.

I won't bother pointing out members on here as I don't think it's profitable, but Eric Holder couldn't wait to get out on Friday and start banging the gun control drum.

There is no one issue at fault with what happened on Friday. Yes, I think the media has some of the blame in the way they sensationalize things like this. I also think we need to come to terms with how to handle people with mental illness. In spite of many on the left rushing to try and paint these mass murderers as right-wing nutjobs (like they tried with the AZ shooter), the significant majority (of late) have turned out to have some form of mental illness. The left can beat the gun control drum all they want, but unless we can come to terms with the condition of the human mind and soul, these tragedies will continue.

 

[jackstar7]

Again, you re-affirm your role as one of this forum's most cheerfully vapid, brain-dead trolls. With that in mind:

If you didn't quote him, I wouldn't even see it...

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Whether you like it or not, Don, there's some truth to what he said. Just because you don't like the messenger (your right, of course) doesn't mean that there isn't some validity to the message.

I won't bother pointing out members on here as I don't think it's profitable, but Eric Holder couldn't wait to get out on Friday and start banging the gun control drum.

There is no one issue at fault with what happened on Friday. Yes, I think the media has some of the blame in the way they sensationalize things like this. I also think we need to come to terms with how to handle people with mental illness. In spite of many on the left rushing to try and paint these mass murderers as right-wing nutjobs (like they tried with the AZ shooter), the significant majority (of late) have turned out to have some form of mental illness. The left can beat the gun control drum all they want, but unless we can come to terms with the condition of the human mind and soul, these tragedies will continue.

There is a difference between reacting to this shooting by wanting to make legislative reforms like gun control, even if the people voicing that sentiment felt the same way before the shootings, and being "orgasmic, pleased and happy," and "stroking themselves in satisfaction" about the deaths of 26 people, including 20 6- and 7-year olds. As usual whatever legitimate point may have been buried in monovillage's posts is cloaked in incendiary, hateful language about how evil Democrats are.

Honestly, as much as I have defended this forum over the years, and as much as I am overall pleasantly surprised by the quality of discussion in the CT shooting thread in particular, I often feel the lunatics of this forum are running the asylum. Some people just have no decency, and think nothing of smearing their shit all over the real discussion here. It's disgusting. I think the monovillages of the world have much in common (i.e., a total lack of human connection and decency) with Adam Lanza.

 

[IronWing]

The OP's assertion is without merit. Mass murder is news and aught to be news. The media can be fairly accused of laziness, sensationalism, and spectacular callousness toward victims and survivors but this idea that the media shares responsibility for the murders by simply covering the story is pure fantasy. The murderer chose to murder. When the murderer kills himself there can be no justice so folks look for others to sacrifice in pursuit of false justice.

 

[FerrelGeek]

I understand. But sadly, I do think that there are some that (though not to Mono's description) are silently pleased that this was dropped in their lap.

I honestly don't know what 'gun control' measure will help here other than finding a way to get guns out of the hands of mentally unstable people. The mom legally owned her weapons. In the case of the OR mall shooting, the killer stole legally owed weapons. Both were mentally unstable.

There is a difference between reacting to this shooting by wanting to make legislative reforms like gun control, even if the people voicing that sentiment felt the same way before the shootings, and being "orgasmic, pleased and happy," and "stroking themselves in satisfaction" about the deaths of 26 people, including 20 6- and 7-year olds. As usual whatever legitimate point may have been buried in monovillage's posts is cloaked in incendiary, hateful language about how evil Democrats are.

Honestly, as much as I have defended this forum over the years, and as much as I am overall pleasantly surprised by the quality of discussion in the CT shooting thread in particular, I often feel the lunatics of this forum are running the asylum. Some people just have no decency, and think nothing of smearing their shit all over the real discussion here. It's disgusting. I think the monovillages of the world have much in common (i.e., a total lack of human connection and decency) with Adam Lanza.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I understand. But sadly, I do think that there are some that (though not to Mono's description) are silently pleased that this was dropped in their lap.

I honestly don't know what 'gun control' measure will help here other than finding a way to get guns out of the hands of mentally unstable people. The mom legally owned her weapons. In the case of the OR mall shooting, the killer stole legally owed weapons. Both were mentally unstable.

I agree with you regarding gun control, and as I have said in the other CT thread, I think the mental health system is where we should look for reform as a result of this incident.

I entirely disagree that anyone on the left is "pleased" about this tragedy. By way of analogy, most of the senior members of the Bush administration (including, among others, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz) were part of the Project for a New American Century, a neoconservative think tank that called for the projection of American military power in the Middle East, and stated that it would probably take a "Pearl Harbor-type event" to catalyze the American public to support such military intervention. That being said, I do not believe, nor did I hear anyone at the time say, that President Bush or any of the members of his administration were happy that 9/11 occurred.

I think posts like monovillage's (and, indeed, nearly all of his posts) make it nearly impossible to have a thoughtful discussion. If I were a mod I would probably vacation him for that post, but I am not, and in fairness I don't know that it violates the forum rules, as disgusting as it is.

 

[monovillage]

" It's disgusting. I think the monovillages of the world have much in common (i.e., a total lack of human connection and decency) with Adam Lanza. "


I think posts like monovillage's (and, indeed, nearly all of his posts) make it nearly impossible to have a thoughtful discussion. If I were a mod I would probably vacation him for that post, but I am not, and in fairness I don't know that it violates the forum rules, as disgusting as it is.

and i'm the troll ?
An obvious disgusting call out thread from you, but expected.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

and i'm the troll ?
An obvious disgusting call out thread from you, but expected.

So it's "disgusting" to call a spade a spade, and you should be permitted to post like a flaming asshole in times of tragedy with impunity. Got it. You're a gem and a credit to these forums.

 

[monovillage]

So it's "disgusting" to call a spade a spade, and you should be permitted to post like a flaming asshole in times of tragedy with impunity. Got it. You're a gem and a credit to these forums.

I wasn't the only one that noticed the emotion the more rabid supporters of gun control were displaying about this incident, but you're the one that chose to do a call out post.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I wasn't the only one that noticed the emotion the more rabid supporters of gun control were displaying about this incident, but you're the one that chose to do a call out post.

You are the only one who said that supporters of gun control were happy about it, much less "orgasmic, pleased and happy," and "stroking themselves in satisfaction." Moreover, note that many pro-gun voices have also used this tragedy to push their own agenda for even less gun restrictions, by claiming that the tragedy occurred because the school was a gun-free zone.

You are (or at least your online persona is) a sheer waste of human tissue. If you don't want that pointed out, start acting like a human being and not a full-time filthy troll.

 

[monovillage]

You are the only one who said that supporters of gun control were happy about it, much less "orgasmic, pleased and happy," and "stroking themselves in satisfaction." Moreover, note that many pro-gun voices have also used this tragedy to push their own agenda for even less gun restrictions, by claiming that the tragedy occurred because the school was a gun-free zone.

You are (or at least your online persona is) a sheer waste of human tissue. If you don't want that pointed out, start acting like a human being and not a full-time filthy troll.

You can go screw yourself DVC, re-reading through the Connecticut School Shooting! thread
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2289598

It's pretty damn obvious I was right no matter how distasteful my post was. It's why I quit posting in that thread very early on.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

You can go screw yourself DVC, re-reading through the Connecticut School Shooting! thread
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2289598

It's pretty damn obvious I was right no matter how distasteful my post was. It's why I quit posting in that thread very early on.

Find me one poster in that forum who evinced "happiness" about the shootings, much less "orgasmic" happiness.

You are either a) an invented persona; or b) a walking, talking turd of a human being, with no conscience or human decency, who also happens to be an unthinking ideologue. You are clearly not stupid, which in this instance is not a defense, but actually damning, in that you either know better or would, were you wired like a decent person.

As an eternal optimist about humanity, I choose to believe that a) is true, but you seem hellbent on proving me wrong at every turn.

 

[Druidx]

Find me one poster in that forum who evinced "happiness" about the shootings, much less "orgasmic" happiness.

Just my opinion but I found some of Ausm's post to fit that description.
As he happily blamed the shooting on the Rethuglicant and republikkkan.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Just my opinion but I found some of Ausm's post to fit that description.
As he happily blamed the shooting on the Rethuglicant and republikkkan.

Can you show me one where he demonstrated happiness, particularly "orgasmic" happiness? I am open to listening, and indeed encouraged Ausm to cool it in that very thread (and called him out for his use of "Rethuglicant"), but turning this into a political issue is entirely different from being happy it occurred. Again, the Bush administration clearly used 9/11 to further a preconceived political agenda (mostly by conflating Al Qaeda with Iraq), but I don't think that means any of them were happy about the tragedy on 9/11.

 

[Druidx]

Sorry but happily turning into a political issue is still pretty disgusting, especially the way he did.

 

[monovillage]

Find me one poster in that forum who evinced ................

It was obvious to me from the tone and language of the posts. You even admit that you saw a similar problem with some of the postings. You're the biggest troll in this thread and you've managed to derail it at the same time. Go screw yourself DVC along with your self righteous maunderings.