Event Title
Generation Columbine: Ethics of Reporting on School Shootings in the Age of Social Media
Research Mentor(s)
Joan Connell
Description
School shootings raise a number of difficult questions for journalists. Should graphic images be shared alongside breaking news stories? How can news outlets vet sources and information while still keeping up with a 24-hour news cycle? What are the best practices for reaching out to traumatized victims and their communities? How can we portray shooters accurately without contributing to “media contagion”? By studying media trends that have emerged in the two decades since Columbine, this paper aims to shed light on the ethical dilemmas surrounding mass-shootings, particularly those that occur in K-12 schools.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2018
End Date
May 2018
Location
Journalism
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Generation Columbine: Ethics of Reporting on School Shootings in the Age of Social Media
Journalism
School shootings raise a number of difficult questions for journalists. Should graphic images be shared alongside breaking news stories? How can news outlets vet sources and information while still keeping up with a 24-hour news cycle? What are the best practices for reaching out to traumatized victims and their communities? How can we portray shooters accurately without contributing to “media contagion”? By studying media trends that have emerged in the two decades since Columbine, this paper aims to shed light on the ethical dilemmas surrounding mass-shootings, particularly those that occur in K-12 schools.