Journal pudge's Journal: A Modest Proposal: Prevent Copycats 12
Everyone from Hugh Hewitt to Sarah Brady have said that the news should not have published the pictures and audio and video from Cho, the VT shooter, because it might encourage "copycats."
I think this principle should be generalized. All news about crazy people harming others should be suppressed, that others do not follow in their footsteps.
Hence, from this day forth, I propose that the news media do not report on anything government is doing.
Now Playing: CBS - Face The Nation, 04.22.07
Cho (Score:2)
Sometimes good publicity is more valuable than good ratings.
Re: (Score:2)
I would have donated the entire package, wrapping and box included, to the American Psychiatric Association so they could have a case study of one first class idiot. You get kudos from the medial field, kudos from the families and friends of the victims as well as providing a nice steaming cup of STFU to all of the people who wanted full access.
Sometimes good publicity is more valuable than good ratings.
I don't care about ratings. I don't care about the actual content (again, I've not seen or heard any of it except for four second on the local news). I just see no reason to prevent full access to anyone, and have yet to hear a decent argument in favor of that view.
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There is no decent argument in favor of that. Arguments require facts. This is a "feeling" based issue. People tend to get offended by everything now. Airing the video pisses off some of the relatives of the victims and a whole bunch of people who are "feeling" for those families. Not airing the video pisses off people who want to see, or at least access to, the news (you and me for example
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is no decent argument in favor of that. Arguments require facts. This is a "feeling" based issue. People tend to get offended by everything now. Airing the video pisses off some of the relatives of the victims and a whole bunch of people who are "feeling" for those families.
Yep. I like what the NBC President said the other day, that sometimes good journalistic decisions are not good PR decisions.
Yes this is wrong and yes I don't like it, however that seems to be todays reality. As an example, if the package was mailed to FOX News instead of NBC could there have been a correct decision?
Hehehe, good point.
Copycat violence is one reason stated for keeping the video hidden. I feel that those who are copycats were probably close to going off of the deep end anyway. A simple video isn't going to change things much either way.
Absolutely. The act itself may trigger copycats, but not the videos (at least not in any predictable way). For all we know, NOT showing the video could trigger a copycat.
getting ridiculous (Score:1)
Then you're generalizing the wrong principle. Copycats tend to materialize over uniquely and excessively disturbing incidents, not every day occurrences.
Don't be mad that everyone disagrees with you on this overall issue. Maybe it just means you're wrong.
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And I would consider that I am wrong if one person had one actual argument against my view. No one does.
Re: (Score:1)
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There are no arguments. Reason cannot be applied to every single issue. Some are a matter of judgment, and wisdom.
I don't know how to separate "reason" from "judgment" or "wisdom." I don't think it is possible.
Take, for example, the "Dr. Laura" radio show. People call up with familial problems, and ask her advice. She says do this or don't do that. There's no convincing that could possibly be performed via logic. Presumably she's drawing on experience and/or intuition.
Most people strongly think that parading all the sick details of this guy in front of the public has a dreadfully good chance of inciting copycats (like, I think, that NASA contractor).
That is a reason ... it's just a very poor one, because there's no significant evidence to suggest it is true. I could say that parading those details has a dreadfully good chance of curing cancer.
We can't "prove" it, so if that's what you're looking for, I'm not waiting up.
I don't need proof. I just need some justification. And without it, I won't consider the notion rational or worthwhile.
If people just said "I do
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think that releasing the videos greatly increases the likelyhood of copycats over reporting the incident in the first place.
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I don't think that releasing the videos greatly increases the likelyhood of copycats over reporting the incident in the first place.
The real disappointment (Score:2)
I think we should press them to release it under an Open Source license so that it can be combined with the GNU/Linux system. IMO, they released it, but they weren't near open enough.