Fixating on a mass murderer

[lostinblue 1,989]

Adam Lanza: Continued Coverage of This Maniac Will Inspire More Mass Murders

Lilly O'Donnellin

Everyone is in shock after the horrible massacre at an elementary school in Connecticut yesterday. Nobody knows quite how to handle it. Even the president cried. So we comb through the details. We tell each other stories of heroic teachers, heartbroken parents, and the disturbed young man we all want to understand so we can stop others like him from ever causing a similar event.

Reporters trip over each other for each new detail and Twitter feeds clog with condolences and rallying cries. This is the natural way for this story to unfold; we don’t know what else to do, so we talk about it.

But we need to stop. We're making it worse.

By allowing this story to take over all of the news outlets, internet discussions, and even all of our thoughts, we're playing right into the cycle of large-scale violence. Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old shooter is famous now, and I can't help but think that we're giving him exactly what he wanted. And, worse than that, that we're giving other isolated, angry young men some ideas of how they could leave their mark on the world.

Fixating on a mass murderer is like a much worse version of laughing when a toddler says a curse word for the first time. It's the natural reaction, but it only encourages more of the same. No matter how many times you say that something is not a good way to get attention, paying attention to it proves the opposite.

As we've heard over and over again, most of these mass shootings are carried out by isolated, lonely people who feel they haven't gotten enough recognition. Seeing one such shooter become a household name overnight, a symbol to be feared, I can't help but wonder how many other antisocial, angry kids are sitting in their rooms right this minute and thinking to themselves, 'that'd show 'em.'

A forensic psychiatrist warned BBC of the dangers of over-covering mass murders after a school shooting in Germany.

"Every time we have intense saturation coverage of a mass murder, we expect to see one or two more within a week," Dr. Park Dietz said. "If you don’t want to propagate more mass murders, don't start the story with sirens blaring, don't have photographs of the killer, don't make this 24/7 coverage."

So far every major news outlet has been doing exactly what Dr. Dietz said not to do.

Sure, it's important to talk about gun control and access to mental health care. And there's no time that those points can be made as strongly as right after a major traumatic event like the Sandy Hook shooting. But the coverage needs to be taken down about 20 notches, from alarmist voyeurism to calm discussion of the future. And most importantly, the fascination with the shooter needs to stop. Picking apart the life of one disturbed kid will not bring back the dead ones.

Gun and health care conversations aside, if we're ever going to see a decrease in these mass shootings, we have to stop treating them like sporting events; crowding around our televisions and computers, desperate for every little detail.

It's counterintuitive for any reporter to walk away from a story that everyone in the country wants more of, but there's an issue here more important than viewership. We, the media, are not helping the country cope with a tragedy, we're playing right into the cycle that will cause more tragedy. We're giving the shooter the recognition he wanted, and sending the message to all the other potential Adam Lanzas out there that going out in a blaze of gunfire will guarantee them a lasting legacy.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/20866/adam-lanza-continued-media-coverage-will-inspire-more-mass-murders

[Penny Lane 8,159]

I haven't heard a thing about Adam Lanza in a month or so. Outside of VJ, I mean.

However, it is only natural when a tragedy like Newtown happens for people to want to know more about the person that made it happen. What was wrong with them? What were the signs that people missed? What was his family life like? Did he have any friends?

People ask these questions and want this information because they mistakenly feel that if they know what made someone like Adam Lanza do what he did, then they'd be able to spot the "warning signs" they might come across in someone else. They want to know what the "enemy" looks like, acts like, feels like so they recognize it.

Now, we all know this doesn't work because generally, when something like Newtown happens, the first thing you hear is "We can't believe Adam would do this, he was a good kid. He was quiet and a bit weird, but not violent!"

So while I agree that these Adam Lanza types get too much publicity when the incident happens, I kind of understand the need for information at the same time.

Edited January 31, 2013 by Evylin

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Lilly O'Donnell is a recent graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She's an intern at Bust Magazine and a freelance writer, and she's currently working on her first book, a biography of her father and a study of the intersection of art and life. Follow her on Twitter at @lillyodonnell.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lilly-odonnell/

Hey Marvin! Your next writing assignment!

[Karee 4,191]

I haven't heard a thing about Adam Lanza in a month or so. Outside of VJ, I mean.

However, it is only natural when a tragedy like Newtown happens for people to want to know more about the person that made it happen. What was wrong with them? What were the signs that people missed? What was his family life like? Did he have any friends?

People ask these questions and want this information because they mistakenly feel that if they know what made someone like Adam Lanza do what he did, then they'd be able to spot the "warning signs" they might come across in someone else. They want to know what the "enemy" looks like, acts like, feels like so they recognize it.

Now, we all know this doesn't work because generally, when something like Newtown happens, the first thing you hear is "We can't believe Adam would do this, he was a good kid. He was quiet and a bit weird, but not violent!"

So while I agree that these Adam Lanza types get too much publicity when the incident happens, I kind of understand the need for information at the same time.

You need to watch more Piers Morgan. It's the Newtown/gun control hour from 2100-2200 EST daily.

I'm pretty sure if this Adam Lanza nut didn't think he'd be on TV every night for a month, he probably never would've done it. What's the point if it doesn't make you infamous? He might have killed his mother and then off'ed himself, but that probably would've made the local paper at the most. Maybe the local news.

Edited January 31, 2013 by Karee

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Hey Marvin! Your next writing assignment!

Interesting, my teacher did say to make argumentative:)

[Penny Lane 8,159]

You need to watch more Piers Morgan. It's the Newtown/gun control hour from 2100-2200 EST daily.

Then don't watch? I obviously don't..

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Then don't watch? I obviously don't..

But then you've got nothing to be outraged about. Does that not bother you?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I think this should be in Off Topic too.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I think this should be in Off Topic too.

Maybe you ought to be in Off Topic?

[Karee 4,191]

But then you've got nothing to be outraged about. Does that not bother you?

What's there to be outraged about? Some nut killed a bunch of kids, and now he's all over TV. He got exactly what he wanted. Why go out in anonymity in your basement with one to the head, when you can take a bunch of kids with you and be on TV for weeks or months?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Maybe you ought to be in Off Topic?

It's a joke seeing how threads have a way of being moved to OT.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's a joke seeing how threads have a way of being moved to OT.

I went and looked. You're right there is a strange trend developing. Have shooting threads ended up elsewhere?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's there to be outraged about? Some nut killed a bunch of kids, and now he's all over TV. He got exactly what he wanted. Why go out in anonymity in your basement with one to the head, when you can take a bunch of kids with you and be on TV for weeks or months?

I don't watch a lot of TV but the little TV I do watch has no Adam Lanza coverage. Maybe you need to switch channels? Only reason he's on TV is because there's an audience for him. Are you part of that audience? Then perhaps you're part of the problem.

[Karee 4,191]

I don't watch a lot of TV but the little TV I do watch has no Adam Lanza coverage. Maybe you need to switch channels? Only reason he's on TV is because there's an audience for him. Are you part of that audience? Then perhaps you're part of the problem.

No, I don't watch him on a regular basis. I cruise by CNN and now and then while his show is on thinking I might see something interesting. Unfortunately, it's usually the same thing. Since I'm not one of the viewers Nielson monitors, I hardly think my watching or not watching has anything to do with his ratings, so I'm not part of the problem.

Here's a little info on how TV ratings work in case you're curious:

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/measurement/television-measurement.html

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I went and looked. You're right there is a strange trend developing. Have shooting threads ended up elsewhere?

The Georgia shooting thread was moved to OT. So I figure all the gun threads should be moved there. Hell, let's move the whole P&R forum to Off Topic.