— Disclaimer: In this post I will be writing about the mass media’s reporting of the events that occurred at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. I will not be speculating on any of the motives or details of the events; I will only be commenting on the media’s coverage and response. —
It is an irrefutable fact that the events that unfolded in Orlando on Sunday, June 12th are tragic to say the least. I woke up on Sunday the 12th to a barrage of notifications on my iPhone from CNN and the Associated Press, briefing me on the morning’s events. The media was reporting facts, which is their place in events such as this. The initial reporting appeared to be covered well, but as more information on the suspected attacker was released, the media made it viral.
The newspaper that I read most frequently is The Brookings Register. Monday’s edition had the headline ‘Worst mass shooting in U.S.’ as the full-color feature story above the fold. Obviously, the Register didn’t have a reporter at the scene in Orlando, so instead they published the reporting of Jason Dearen of the Associated Press. The piece is accurate and
unbiased, but I have one major problem with it. He begins the third paragraph with the sentence ‘Authorities say that suspect **** ****** emerged…’
You most likely noticed that I did not mention the suspected attacker’s name. The article did mention the suspect’s name, but there is a very good reason why I refuse to share the suspect’s name or photograph. Today’s media is creating martyrs. Radicals of any gender, religion, sexuality, or any other groups see the attacker and the cause he fought for plastered all over the internet, television and radio and they might think- ‘That could be me. The whole world could see me and what I died for and I can inspire others to follow in my tracks.’
It is time for the media to stop martyring people. I do not mean to stop reporting on breaking news. There is no way that the media can not show the suspect’s picture or share their name, but they should not be sharing it as much as they do. It seems like every time I turn on the
news I see the suspect’s face and name as well as everything else the media can find out about them.
To summarize in one sentence: Don’t give radicals what they want- martyrdom.
