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Using the Names of Mass Shooting Suspects

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by rmanfredi, Jul 25, 2012.

  1. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    If you do not use his name, how do you as a reader know if you ever crossed paths with the person? If you went to school with him?
     
  2. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    I applaud this decision and hope to see people go much further. Not using the name by itself is a silly token. But I absolutely believe that future mass murders could be avoided with a concerted effort by all involved to stop turning these people into mythic anti-heroes and giving them all the attention and notoriety they crave.

    Heck, if you are outside of Colorado, stop reporting on it all together. It's not news anymore other than pure voyuerism.
     
  3. ZummoSports

    ZummoSports Member

    I didn't remember these two names either. Nor do I remember the name of the Virginia Tech shooter. Like everyone else, the Colorado shooter will fade away in time.
     
  4. FileNotFound

    FileNotFound Well-Known Member

    Because I worked at a newspaper in 1999, I remember the names Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. Because I didn't work at a newspaper after 2004, I don't remember the names of the Virginia Tech shooter or the guy who shot Gabrielle Giffords. I suspect I'll forget this guy's name too at some point.

    The news value of these mass shootings does drop fairly precipitously after the initial event. I do think the need journalists have to know *everything* and pass on said knowledge is open to question. I don't need to see this guy's complete college transcript and know what he had for breakfast some morning in 2002. All I need to know is when he gets whatever punishment his state allows.
     
  5. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    Excellent idea and inexpensive, too.
     
  6. hpdrifter

    hpdrifter Member

    Understand the sentiment, but who is to say all these killers want their name out there? And can you really intellectually deal with someone who dresses up like a clown and shoots 70 people? That logic means we shouldn't use Hitler's name. We also list sex offenders' addresses. I don't get the point of naming suspects of various crimes all the way up the ladder up until they kill a bunch of people.
     
  7. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    If some criminal sociologists studied it and decided that mass murder shooting spree perpetrators did do it for the notoriety, or at least it encouraged them, would that change your mind?
     
  8. hpdrifter

    hpdrifter Member

    No. It likely wouldn't stop them from the act in the first place. You can't reason with insane.
     
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