Fame and Murder

Over at the unofficial blog of the Lane County Bus Project, blogger Mike Biglan responds to the media's coverage of the Omaha mall shootings, and the relevation that the shooter was motivated by aspirations of fame:

From CNN: “Mall shooter’s suicide note: Now I’ll be famous“. On top of this headline for the past almost 24 hours now has been his full size picture and name where millions of people open up the site and see this mass murderer.

CNN (and other news networks) have successfully fulfilled the stated goal of this mass murderer by making him famous. And any other would-be mass murderers can see yet another example of the instant-fame begotten by killing.

CNN, there are 30 gun deaths in the US each day. Report on the policies that allow this. Report on the fact that it is less than 1 in many other industrialized countries. Report about the hundreds of accidental gun deaths and the simple safety mechanisms to prevent them. And if reporting on a mass murder such as this, report on the victims, but don’t glorify the culprit by giving him any face time. The next shooter is watching.

Comment at LaneBus.org.

Dec. 06, 2007 Posted in elsewhere.