The+Repercussion+and+Effects+of+the+Mass+Media+Coverage+of+School+Associated+Violent+Deaths

__**The Repercussion and Effects of the Mass Media Coverage of School Associated Violent Deaths**__
This page will discuss the repercussions and effect on the general public after the mass media coverage of most school associated violent deaths. It will explore the many ways and frames in which the media publicized these cases in order to indirectly illicit fear in the general public as well as the social construction used to achieve such a widespread panic.

News media will often socially construct crime by actively shaping citizens' views of their social life. In the case of School Associated Violent Deaths (hereinafter "Shootings"), the news and media act as "claims makers" in order to identify and subjectively frame these issues in a way that will lead the public to adopt particular beliefs (Bracy & Kupchik, 2009). These media outlets stray from the standard objective portrayal of the news and through interpretations and clever strategies, can slip through the lens towards the consumer, and let pass their subjective thoughts and ideals.

The news media will portray School Associated Violent Deaths in one of two formats: The Episodic Format, and The Thematic Format. Both formats will use a very strict form of subjectivity, and both format will explore the common repercussion that has lingered upon the general public: Fear.

__**The Episodic Format**__


 * Episodic Framing**

Although recurring, the news media encapsulates individual shootings as specific and discrete events. Each worthy of their own individual coverage. The public are encouraged to place responsibility on the individuals, and are told to ignore the social issues. In this frame, the media wants you to rise up against the criminals that you so desperately fear and watch them come to justice.


 * The Study**

In a study conducted by Aaron Kupchik and Nicole L. Bracy, they examine news reports about school crime and violence from //The New York Times// as well as //USA Today// to examine the frequency and content of these reports.

As to be expected, the amount of news articles leaped in 1999, during the events of the shooting at Columbine High School. This was one of the most documented cases in the history of all school shootings. However, this is not the most important result in this study. Within the articles about Columbine, there were many people interviewed, over 50% of which were students and parents of students.

The percentage of parents who feared for the safety of their children was at their peak in 1999, and since then has witnessed a rapid decline. The parents were more afraid of the other students in the school, and were putting blame on the perpetrators for causing havoc despite not knowing their intentions and them having a seemingly unclear motivation. This lack of motivation is what drove this underlying fear. School shootings are an example of "moral panic" because it involves "folk devils" (Bracy & Kupchik, 2009); criminals who are from a common rural, urban, or suburban home. The public begins to adopt a "how could it happen in a place like this?" mentality that can quickly shift to "It could happen anywhere" (Bracy & Kupchik, 2009).

The results coincide with the second hypothesis issued by Kupchik and Bracy, which states that //News stories on school crime and violence are constructed in a way that exaggerated the risk of victimization that students face in schools// (Bracy & Kupchik, 2009).

This is the first method in which the the media coverage can instill fear into the public, by attempting to socially construct students as not being safe. They are using these stories in an attempt subjectively and highly victimize the student body. School children are ideal victims with the Crime and Justice Ecology. They are the "victim sheep", innocent people who are prayed on upon "criminal wolves"; criminals who are depicted as sick and degenerate. Because of their status as victims, we feel an ideal sympathy towards them. Ergo, the news media is relying upon that sympathy in order to generate a strong emotional response towards the individuals who are responsible for these shootings.

__**The Thematic Format**__


 * Thematic Framing**

The thematic frame presents the news within a broader context. It highlights trends, persistent problems and collective outcomes. In this frame, the media uses the broader context of the events so that the consumer may blame the society for what has occurred. The media is using your fear and collective panic in order to push your ideals against those who you believe will stop this issue once and for all.


 * Scaring by the Numbers**

The news media is consistent with promoting fear, and living up to their underlying principle of "if it bleeds, it leads". One of the methods they use in order to promote said fear is through the use of a frame known as the "Good news-bad news" frame.

This frame leads the reader or viewer into a false sense of security before bombarding them with statistics and numbers that is meant to teach them how horrible this situation might be, even if is not a current problem. An example of this frame is taken from a 2000 //USA Today// article entitled "Study: Crime Down at Schools"


 * In the article, it claims that students feel safer and that crime rates are the lowest that they have ever been.
 * As it progresses, it begins to cite statistics from the National Crime Victimization Survey
 * These statistics reveal the number of violent crimes including rape, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault (Henry, 2000) that have occurred between 1998 and 1999 as well as the number of victims and their age range, 5 through 19 (Henry, 2000).

Following the pattern of subjectivity as victimization, the media uses these numbers in order to promote the "shock factor". Not only are these statistics without context, but are also alarming in their presentation.They are meant to subjectively force the reader into seeing the broader picture: "Although crime may be down now, look at all the crimes in the past and all those who have suffered". The consumer becomes appalled with these results and have immediately fallen into the media's hands.

This is the second method that the media uses as fear as a repercussion on the public; the fear that these events are not one-time occurrences, and that we should be afraid and prepare ourselves for the next assault. Because of this fear, the punitive response has risen a great deal. Practices such as metal detectors, surveillance cameras, ID badges, the use of random drug dog searches and the full-time presence of police officers (Dinkes, Forrest Cataldi, & LinKelly, 2007; Kupchik & Monahan, 2006; Lyons & Drew) are all examples of measures that have been put into effect in order to secure school discipline and to reduce any more potential shootings.

These issues are framed in a way that is meant to promote fear; presented in a problem frame or "Social Breakdown Frame". News stories are told with blame on schools for not seeing the "warnings" (Bracy & Kupchik, 2009). Schools are presented as the guilty party, and should have done more to prevent the shootings.

Here, we are told to place the blame on the school so that we no longer need to be afraid. It is not up to them to take the appropriate measures and ensure that these tragic events will never reoccur.


 * __Few Comments on the Media's Relation to School Shootings__**


 * "Media Misleading on School Shootings"**

>
 * Between 1992 and 1996, the homicide rate in America dropped by 20 percent, however the number of homicides reported on network news increased by 721 percent
 * Distorted coverage of crime has a profound effect both on public opinion and policy making.
 * Media coverage of these events has violated recently victimized communities, frightened parents, fomented reactionary legislation and misinformed the public.
 * It may be creating an environment where other troubled youths are copy-catting their well-publicized peers.