Effort To End Notoriety For Mass Killers Gains Traction
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new campaign started by the families of victims of mass shootings is beginning to gain traction. The goal is stop the media from glorifying the shooters.
No name...no photo...no notoriety -- is the challenge to journalists.
"We've seen with these mass shootings that the killer wants to go down in history as an evil guy," says Chris Harper, a journalism professor at Temple University.
The "No Notoriety" campaign asks journalist to refuse to use of the name and photos of mass killers -- or to publish their ramblings.
Harper says the infamy linked to mass killers -- breeds more mass killers.
"They follow them online and they follow the information and say, 'gee - this is how I'd like to be remembered.'"
Harper says journalists can name rape victims legally, but refuse to do so; he believes they could do the same for mass gunman.
But many journalists oppose burying the names of killers, arguing they cheat the public of information, facts that are relevant to how and why such a horrifying act could occur.
