Abstract:
As the issue of frequent mass shootings continues to plague America, increased
attention is being given to the way shootings are covered in the press. Within the last
five years, concern has arisen that news coverage about shooters could actually
incentivize future shootings, which raises a major point of concern for journalists who
seek to minimize harm resulting from their duty to inform the public. Through a series
of qualitative interviews, this thesis examines the opinions of news reporters and editors
related to that hypothesis in order to identify the purpose and potential consequences of
covering a shooter from a journalistic perspective. This research unveils a number of
reporting obligations and ethical considerations to be deliberated when covering future
mass shootings. This research clearly establishes that reporters and editors across the
country are constantly striving to improve their coverage of mass violence, but also
highlights the need for more investigation into the effects of different types of news
coverage on the public, in order provide a basis of research from which decisions about
future news coverage can be made.
Description:
63 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2016.