NRA wants Congress to set "limitations" on how the news can cover school shootings
“It's time for Congress to step up and pass legislation putting common sense limitations on #MSM’s [Mainstream Media] ability to report on these school shootings."
(Needless to say, Congress can't do that even if they want to, because they have no such power. These gun dudes love the Second Amendment, but they must have skipped over the First, which specifically and clearly states, "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press.")
Just between you & me, virtually every time an NRA member uses the term 'common sense', they're making fun of those who advocate 'common sense' gun laws.
ReplyDeleteCongress doesn't have the power, but the nra isn't off in the weeds here. Many many experts agree that limiting or even refusing detailed coverage of school shooters would go far to reduce them. You see lingo used like "high score" among them. They want that notoriety. If school shooters were treated like minors by news agencies and kept anonymous, their lives and motives unknown and unexplored, it's entirely likely the appeal would drop to become one. Seeking recognition is a huge part. The latest in Texas said he left some alive to tell his story. If he knew he'd become a man with no identity, recognized as a number, forever lost to the world, he might have stuck to annoying girls he liked.
ReplyDeleteGeez, Justin... you and I actually agree on something! Will wonders never cease?
DeleteThe people who do these things would still be immensely famous in their own little world, that is, among the people they know. I don't think that pretending something is not happening actually keeps it from happening. I can understand why the NRA wants to everyone to ignore it, though.
ReplyDeleteBut within their own little circles, the chances of them actually DOING something rather than just bragging about doing it, are pretty slim.
DeleteThis can't be "solved" by not talking about it in a certain way, or by restricting audiovisual coverage of these events. These are truly lost/sick/confused individuals who prove their temporary insanity by taking human lives, in the real world, in search of notoriety / validation. I don't mean to say that EXISTING press coverage isn't possibly contributing (it seems possible) but I explicitly mean that restriction of speech is not likely to have even a minor impact on ongoing shooting events. They'll get their coverage in 4chan / reddit / etc.
ReplyDeleteYour relevant phrase is "in search of notoriety / validation." That is the KEY - DENY them the notoriety/validation!
DeleteIt's not too different from the suicide clusters that were happening in different communities and the media stopped covering them in depth and the suicide rates went down. There have been numerous stories on the role of media in copycat events.
ReplyDeleteWhile I disagree with the NRA that Congress should be involved (When has more government ever fixed anything), the amount of time devoted to school shootings in proportion to their frequency is out of whack.
Hey, they're not covering them any more often than they happen.
DeleteAnd THAT is the problem! The coverage should be 'back page' - the shooting happened, 2, 3 or however many people were killed/injured. And that's it. STOP advertising the shooter's name, parents name, his/her terrible background or upbringing, how he/she was bullied... yada, yada, yada. DENY them the notoriety and the news coverage and watch how quickly MOST of the problem goes away. It will never completely go away, but I can pretty much guarantee you that the next shooting is being planned as I type this, while the next shooter watches all this exciting news coverage.
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