A local professor is using her research to question common American journalism practices surrounding mass killings.
Maggie Patterson is a journalism professor at Duquesne University who studied crime coverage in ten countries, including the United States.
After mass shootings in Boulder, CO and Atlanta, GA in less than a week, Patterson says she believes American journalists should be discussing and questioning common practices like naming the suspect or describing the crimes in detail.
"Clearly, this conversation is going on whether or not we're encouraging copycat behavior," Patterson she said. "So, we need to be looking at it. We aren't glued to these practices forever. They merit reexamination."
The practice of naming a mass shooting suspect in news coverage has received more scrutiny in recent years.
Don't Name Them is a campaign by the ALERRT Center at Texas State University which advocates for journalists to stop using the name of mass killing suspects in coverage.
"It's public record and it is important to use their names and likenesses to apprehend them and bring them to justice," the Don't Name Them website says. "However, once they are captured, it's really no longer a part of the story, other than to create a call to action for a like-minded killer to take their plans and thoughts and make them into deeds."
Of the ten countries Patterson studied, she said those who do not use the suspects' names in news coverage cited wanting to avoid giving them publicity and protecting the suspects' families.
However, she clarified other background information on the suspect is typically available.
"There is evidence that there are websites where these wannabes communicate with each other about how to get the best publicity possible, which is really kind of terrifying," she said. "So, the conversation here is whether or not we're causing harm."
