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Bias Bash: Risks of reporting on massacres

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    Jim Pinkerton on how media is covering tragic events and the risks of naming shooters

  • Duration 4:27
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Being with us all right Jim Pinkerton is still with us here on set which would very much appreciate and that we were talking about fiscal -- and we also talked to you are in charge of the a bias bash this week and of course you know with what happened in Connecticut.

Last Friday we can -- today.

So many people are you know still absorbing what's happening the funerals are still going on.

But now we're looking to how the media handled everything and so you have some thoughts on the media agenda surfacing during the coverage of.

Rice and Laura look you and I are both parents are old enough to remember the fifth column -- apps pretty well -- back in 1999 and at at that tragic occasion when.

Pretty young -- out of school and killed more than a dozen.

With a fellow students there was a significant media mean -- -- would not convene the killer.

-- we must not name those two kids can and I -- obviously.

Some people did a lot of people didn't and and the thought was that not naming them that we would be depriving them -- admittedly from the grave.

Of the kind of notoriety and fame that went to so many other mass killers.

-- well over the years and that -- sort of disappeared and following years and it's still more of these tragic shootings and yet and in 2007.

In the wake of Virginia Tech shooting.

The American Psychological Association.

Said an open letter to the media.

I spent in five years ago that please don't name this young man because he -- now that we know more about and we clearly know that he was inspired.

If that's the right word.

By the Columbine shooters to do the exact same thing which he did only more so.

And I'm just struck five years after that now here in 2012 that the idea of not naming the shooter not giving any glory has been completely.

Evaporated from the media discussion all media outlets I know -- Including this -- are saying the guy's name the guy's name the guy's name and this is about -- and so on and admittedly the public disinterested messenger and -- leaders elements of his story that are.

Obviously worth pursuing whether it was mental illness or relationship with the mother and the impact.

Divorce or -- -- access to guns that he had.

But I just -- am struck by what the American Psychological Association said was that the big group.

And I assume they still believe that that.

We are simply manufacturing company cancer every time we can't talk about this and and Wayne -- that president of the National Rifle Association -- CEO.

So this morning's press conference -- goats.

Even as we're sitting -- document and -- that the next copycat killer is packing his evil plan now.

-- this the NRA is spent more than his share of challenges and problems and political controversies now.

But it -- the bias here is not only in -- in the media saying -- of course nothing we do is at fault.

It's all that we must ban guns -- as much of that and of course we in the media will continue to name these killers talk about their life stories make their names and images.

Household.

Regulars.

And of course in the name of the first minute we'll never do anything that violent video games and violent movies those of course are off the table.

And I think that's so immediate gender bias of saying well you know the only thing that the media thinks is an important topic right now on the gun control issue seemingly.

Remember on the shooting issue his gun control and I think that's clients.

-- and -- I usually would leave or they're gonna do want to ask you question -- when this type of thing happens so many people want to know who would do such a thing.

How do you not report.

Even if you don't say the guy's name how do you not report -- the craving that the American public.

Aaron evidence that pat has I I I think this is betting that I mean.

But I'll just go back to what we all aloof.

Fever intuition which is -- There is a media copycat angle race in the wake of the come by -- and like 400 incidents that they get traced to.

Those two killers.

I don't have a good answer.

To be continued.

To be continued all right -- -- -- that maybe you gonna talk about what is this weekend on news watch of course anchored by Jon Scott vary your times 2:30 PM.

At 11:30 PM every Saturday look for Jim Pinkerton on that fabulous panel hosted by John Scott looking -- -- as -- -- the regular -- -- And you're -- -- well thank you are.

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