The problem of mass shootings is gaining momentum and is increasingly manifested in modern society. Despite the horror of this action, it is necessary to apply guidelines of notoriety. This phenomenon consists of the non-proliferation of information, such as, for example, the image of the person who committed the shooting. This is because by giving society data about the criminal, the mass media contribute to the development of the popularity of both the culprit and his terrible figure. It is necessary to spread awareness about this problem, as this can reduce the re-occurrence of such cases that ruin people’s lives.
To better understand the issue under study, three different sources were selected about the horrific events of the mass shooting in Michigan. The first was an article in the famous The New York Times Magazine “Michigan High School Shooting.” Immediately it is worth noting that there is no information about the criminal in the title of the article, which is already a positive aspect. Moreover, the authors did not show a photo of the young man and mentioned his name quite rarely.
In addition, the article focuses on the experiences of the school children who suffered the tragedy. This factor contributes to the dissemination of information about how terrible and tragic such events are. Moreover, it contributes to the development of opinions about the negative impact of shootings and similar crimes and can significantly reduce the risk of these incidents. The source emphasizes that “we must act to properly address gun violence in our schools and the ongoing threat of another unconscionable tragedy if we continue to only offer thoughts and prayers” (“Michigan High School Shooting” para. 16). The article also indicates the names of the victims, which emphasizes the importance of their lives, which were stopped at such an early age.
The following source that disseminated information about the mass shooting in Michigan is a media source broadcasting news on television called CNN. Immediately it is necessary to note the negative aspect of this media since it, first of all, depicts a photo of the criminal. This fact contributes to the spread of the false popularity of the young killer and may lead to the appearance of repeated cases of this crime. However, this aspect is compensated by the fact that the article conveys the experiences and emotions that the victims experienced (Vera and Romine para. 4-5). This information also helps to reduce the occurrence of further incidents involving the use of weapons by minors.
The latest source raising the topic of the event is HuffPost. This article raises the topic of accusing not only the criminal but also directly the parents of the young man. The main argument is that “owning a gun means securing it properly and locking it and keeping the ammunition separate” (Moye para. 1). This is valuable information because it is necessary to spread awareness about how important it is to teach children about the dangers of weapons and to protect them from using them as much as possible.
Therefore, it can be concluded that it is critically important not to spread information about the killer. This fact may negatively affect the formation of the opinion that these actions are normal and provoke the repeated appearance of such crimes. In addition, it is important to focus on the experience of the victims and on what measures should be taken to protect the younger generation.
Works Cited
“Michigan High School Shooting: 3 Students Killed and Several Critically Injured.” The New York Times, 2021, Web.
Vera, Amir, and Taylor Romine. “3 Dead, 8 Injured in Shooting at Michigan High School, Undersheriff Says.” CNN, 2021, Web.
Moye, David. “Parents Of Michigan School Shooting Suspect May Also Be Charged: Prosecutor.” HuffPost, 2021, Web.