The Media Contagion Effect: how the media causes mass shootings

[007kingifrit]

When a mass shooting occurs the media tells us 3 things ASAP. How many people were killed, what was used and who did it. Then they rank these against other shooters in a sick grotesque scoreboard against other mass shootings.

The attention the shooter gets glorifies him in the eyes of other sad lonely vulnerable people and this encourages them to commit copycat crimes to achieve the same result for themselves. This is a process known as the media contagion effect.

This is a well understood scientific phenomenon and scientists are certain it plays a large factor in causing mass shootings http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/media-contagion.aspx

Media contagion effect also increases the odds of terrorists attacking because it lets them know they WILL get a platform to push their message from the media http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/73/html

so what can we do? in the 1980s the media contagion effect was causing teenagers to commit suicide in record numbers because they wanted attention and saw all the other teen victims on TV and said "i want to be remembered like that" http://www.ensani.ir/storage/Files/20110209140608-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%20%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87%20%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C%20%D9%88%20%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%20%D8%AF%D8%B1%20%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86.pdf

but we did something about it, enraged parents wrote angry letters to cnn and MSN and other outlets they DEMANDED they stop showing the faces and names of the victims and now it is a quasi law among journalists not to do so. We can achieve this again.

the solution is not to stop reporting on the issue but "victim centered reporting" focusing on the victims and NEVER releasing the name or face of the shooter will stop copycat crimes and encourage sympathy rather than envy among vulnerable populations of would be shooters.

Countries like Germany actually have laws that prevent the media from showing the face or name of the shooter which has had a major impact on removing incentive by would be copycats.

[Dragonpurple]

I just saw this 7 days after you posted it, really well done. I've thought this for a long time that the shooter should not be shown or named, not just to stop the contagion effect but to also give them a truly fair trial. After all its entirely possible that someone who's name and face is plastered all over the place could get a mistrial or be unable to get a fair trial.

The shooters identity should only be released to the public upon conviction. Law enforcement should take the lead and not release who the suspect is or who they have in custody until the conviction happens. I doubt the media would ever do it willingly.

[razelove]

I've felt like this is the case for a long time. Especially after Columbine, that happened, then many other school shootings which looking back happened maybe once every 5-10 years.

There just weren't any studies or data that could be linked to before to back that assumption up. You know, one fire starts other fires is common sense, but no one wants to hear that.

[midnightmoon05]

Stop watching the news will help all of us become smarter and think for ourselves.
The media is controlled for a specific reason.

[Flower7]

Focusing only on the victims and giving no attention to the shooters would be a great idea!

[strateguy632]

plausible cause, even without source , but thanks for bringing sources too. superb presentation. the attention motivates the sickos.

and the bias of gun control, pushed the media to respond , in that harmful way, indirectly dnc is an accomplice in later rapid fire shootings. the news company should only report the tragedy, but not each tragedy stats nor compare as you pointed out. superb presentation.

[007kingifrit]

thank you, it is very important for people to know this. we have been taught the wrong things by the media when really it was there fault all along

[lightbulb27]

I think you got something there, it's at least a part of the puzzle.
The other part of this for the ones that live... ban them for life from using the internet and advertise that on msnbc... even when in jail.
That will strike fear into the hearts of teens like God used to do. that's the fear side.

then encourage the hope side somehow.

[JackSmy]

GREAT POST!! But how can we stop these "CRAZY FCKS" from killing kids and other people?
Dumbocrats, in the US think that banning weapons from law-abiding citizens, that don't commit these crimes is the answer.
But the Truth is, that insane people, and criminals don't obey laws!

[SuccessfulHornDog]

Nice My take.

The media does play a part in this as well as in dividing us as a people. We need to find a way to reign them in before they destroy the entire country

[RolandCuthbert]

Wow. It seems to be everyone’s fault except the person doing the shooting. I am not sure why you are comparing us to other nations. You do not want to compare us to Germany knowing that they have strict gun laws. You can’t own a gun if you are crazy, a felon, etc.

[007kingifrit]

sorry you don't like the science. but the truth is germany also has laws that forbid them from showing the face or name of the shooter on TV. Europe adopted similar laws in 2015 to prevent terrorist attacks and the difference between the 2 types of media coverage is night and day. here are some before and after examples

BBC. (2015, January). Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror. Paris. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30708237
BBC. (2015, November). Paris attacks: as they happened. Paris, France. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-34815972

note the second story has what we call "victim centered reporting"; they don't focus on the attackers. this prevents copycat crimes

[RolandCuthbert]

Your opinion isn't science. You have decided for political reasons to blame the media instead of the people who actually commit the violence. Racists are such weird people. They talk so negatively about other groups, all the while making every excuse they can dream up for their own mythical race.

"White" supremacy is some hard work. You guys have to come up with excuses almost every single day.

But again, you are comparing two different nations with drastically different cultures and attitudes with respect go guns and to violence. I mean think of your own insanity. How popular is nazism in Germany in this day and age?

[007kingifrit]

i used many scientific sources and examples. you are the one being political

[RolandCuthbert]

Nothing was scientific. You posted something unsubstantiated and that is just opinion.

Then you went on to the Charlie Hebdo attack.

There is no study, no paper, no scientific research that certifies your claim. This is about your politics.

[EternallyCorrect]

What did he say that was racist?

[007kingifrit]

i LITERALLY linked scientific studies

[Donaldtrumpisorsnge]

I once saw a meme
“Who radicalised you?”
“You did”

[007kingifrit]

yea most of the problems in this world are the media's fault

[Anonymous]

The media wants mass shooting to happen. More shit in the news = more ratings = more money to them. Burn them all to the ground

[ninaneedshelp]

This is all a ploy to take away guns

[007kingifrit]

you know i did know like 4 months ago that we were going to have a "mass shooting thing" because the media wanted it. they wanted to give biden an excuse

[ninaneedshelp]

Exactly! When they realize people give up their rights in a crisis they create one to take them their rights away.

[OlderAndWiser]

Excellent analysis!

[007kingifrit]

thanks, its too bad the very people causing all our problems are the ones who control the... flow of information we would need to fix it

[OlderAndWiser]

Most of the MSM is more interested in proving their power and advancing the far left agenda than they are in helping our country to become stronger.

[007kingifrit]

but don't call them MSN, they aren't mainstream anymore. they are the relic of a dying past. they are the media industrial complex. our word choices can help them die quicker

[OlderAndWiser]

Good point.

[ManHater]

Yes... and It's all the chinese fault.

[007kingifrit]

this has been a problem for 60+ years

we even went back and looked at serial killings from the 60s and saw a media contagion effect trend. people literally became serial killers because the media gave out cool names like "the everdale slasher" and such shit

[Avicenna]

Excellent points

[DarkPatriot]

You mean how the media fakes mass shootings.

[anylolone]

Same for suicide.

[razelove]

What do you mean, how they downplay the amount of people doing it, or include it prevalently in any gun violence statistics? It is tricky to track, a lot of suicides get filed as accidents so they can have a christian burial.

[anylolone]

@razelove no, I mean there's a media contagion effect as well with that.

[razelove]

Just with my experience with friends who are/were addicts offing themselves, they never made the news, but it still spreads like wildfire. Stupid is contagious, I mean, this is about the news, right?

[anylolone]

@razelove yes, even without the news, social media is a thing.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely