Is the media responsible for encouraging school shooters?

Question

Both N. Illinois' Kazmierczak and Virginia Tech's Cho were made into overnight media celebrities. Once mere nobodies, after their suicidal massacres, they have become household names. Is today's media responsible for directly provoking future murderers into action, in order to sell their newspapers?

Answer 1

Since at least some mass murderers crave notoriety, and this is common knowledge, yes. And frankly, freedom of the press is not a defense, any more than one can shout "fire" in a crowded theatre and claim freedom of speech. They are not solely responsible of course, but if we were truly as civilized as we pretend to be cases like this would get far less attention...and the killer's names/pics would not be published.

Answer 2

no doubt....the ratings directly equate to dollars...and the wanna Be's are all tuned in and all getting fired up....in a free society we need free press...however the power the press enjoys to embolden these assassins needs be mitigated, they must hold some responsibility here, they fan the fires and then stand back and watch the flames..unless we want a constant repeat of this news, this has to change

Answer 3

Certainly, the media glamorizes anything violent or negative to sell you a product or an ideal or to frighten you to death.  Just look at the racial chasm in this country fed at every moment by, you guessed it, the media.  It is all about sell sell sell...no matter what the product a show a paper a war a gun a mass shooting an insurance policy whatever it is...too bad they cant glamorize peace, compassion, understanding, patience, education, brotherhood, respect...

Answer 4

The media is to blame for it all.

I think they more than anything are the new communists.

Remember the good old cold war days when the commies

could be blamed for everything? Pity its gone.

But now we know it was the media all along.

Problem solved.

I was afraid it might have been something

like young people having grave mental problems, or bad teaching methods, or even LSD in the water supply.

But no. It was those mean, nasty media bums all along.