To: Editor, New York Times and Public Editor, New York Times
.@nytimes: Don’t focus attention on Oregon shooter
Just Foreign Policy
The New York Times should stop focusing attention on the Oregon shooter.
Why is this important?
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters he refuses to name the gunman behind the shooting rampage at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College that left 10 people dead and seven others injured. “I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific act of cowardice,” Hanlin said. “You will never hear me mention his name.” [1]
In addition to respect for the victims and their families, Sheriff Hanlin has a very good law enforcement, public health justification for his position: research indicating that mass shootings in the U.S. are “contagious,” and that mass media focus on the identity of the shooter is a key means of contagion. [2] On August 27, the New York Times published an op-ed calling on major media to change their behavior. [3] Yet the morning after the shooting, the most prominent position on the New York Times website was occupied by an article about the identity of the shooter.
If we can curb media "looping" of acts of horrific violence and their perpetrators in domestic reporting, that will establish a precedent for foreign policy reporting about terrorism. That will help contain future war fevers.
The New York Times by its actions sets standards for other “responsible media” in the United States. Urge the New York Times to rethink its editorial policy by signing our petition.
References:
1. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/10/01/sheriff-refuses-to-recognize-shooter.html
2. http://phys.org/news/2015-07-mass-school-contagious.html; http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117259; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/69111.php
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/opinion/the-virginia-shooter-wanted-fame-lets-not-give-it-to-him.html
In addition to respect for the victims and their families, Sheriff Hanlin has a very good law enforcement, public health justification for his position: research indicating that mass shootings in the U.S. are “contagious,” and that mass media focus on the identity of the shooter is a key means of contagion. [2] On August 27, the New York Times published an op-ed calling on major media to change their behavior. [3] Yet the morning after the shooting, the most prominent position on the New York Times website was occupied by an article about the identity of the shooter.
If we can curb media "looping" of acts of horrific violence and their perpetrators in domestic reporting, that will establish a precedent for foreign policy reporting about terrorism. That will help contain future war fevers.
The New York Times by its actions sets standards for other “responsible media” in the United States. Urge the New York Times to rethink its editorial policy by signing our petition.
References:
1. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/10/01/sheriff-refuses-to-recognize-shooter.html
2. http://phys.org/news/2015-07-mass-school-contagious.html; http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117259; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/69111.php
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/opinion/the-virginia-shooter-wanted-fame-lets-not-give-it-to-him.html