Media Dilemma, Responsible Reporting vs Mass Murder Inspiration

First I'd like to say that this piece is not about bashing the media..  Much of that has been  going on for some time, and to be fair, responsible journalism and responsible media has done many wonderful things and performed many wonderful services to help not just Americans, but all people across the world.   You only have to look at how vital media is for those who are in the path of a major Typhoon or Hurricane.  Having lived through Hurricane Andrew,Katrina and Wilma, the media and news reporting was a great source of inspiration and guide.  Not just before the storm, but also during the storm, and the many weeks that followed in the post-storm recovery phase.

Sandy Hook Memorial
Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting

We are just a few months away from one of the biggest spectacles on TV.  Those spectacles being the Super Bowl and the Olympics . They are some of the most widely watched sporting events, seen by billions around the globe. After the big game on Super Bowl Sunday, the buzz the next day usually is about what were some of the best, funniest and quirkiest commercials that were shown during the game. Big companies spend millions of dollars just for a few minutes of air time.  That in itself shows you how powerful exposure is, not just because it makes an impression on a viewers minds when they see the commercial, but even days after the game, that commercial, that brand and product that was featured is still locked in peoples minds.

So what's the point?  The point is negative media must have some sort of affect.  We may not be certain to what degree, not everyone that sees violence and aggression, will act on that violence and aggression that they see, much like those who viewed the Super Bowl commercial, will actually buy what was promoted by the commercial.  The problem with negative exposure of school shootings, mass murders, and these violent events we see on TV  is that it only needs to inspire one deranged or sanely evil person to act out on  these shootings they saw.

This is truly a dilemma that's going to be difficult to solve. Many years ago, we had 3 major reporting networks on TV.   Then it grew to 24/7 cable tv news reporting, now it's exploded to world wide, instant Internet and social media breaking news reporting.  At some point, experts from all fields, journalism, politicians, medical experts have to get together in a coordinated effort to either confirm, or disprove that a mass murderer is, or is not inspired to commit future mass murders by watching the latest shooting massacre. Before the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings, the families of the victims asked the public and media for privacy.  I hope the media and journalists don't take these sort of requests the wrong way. I don't believe as individuals, any of them would want to contribute to these horrific stories, but collectively they could be doing just that, even if it it's unintentional. We're not saying don't report these crimes, of course not.  As I mentioned earlier, media saves lives also, just be mindful of who your audience may be.   That's not asking too much.