COLUMN: The irresponsible and free press
In memory to the victims of the Washington sniper, may we all take a moment of silence …
Thank you.
Now, this particular rant is not aimed at the psychopath who doesn’t have the courage to step out from behind the scope. The last thing I want to do is feed his hunger of fame. No, this rant is aimed toward the press.
Not the press as a whole, but as individuals who find it newsworthy to give this cretin the coverage he desires. I have an understanding of the necessity to inform the public of this monster’s deeds for public safety. But the thing I am most appalled by is the recent issue published by the national magazine US News and World Report.
The cover of this week’s issue has a single .223-caliber bullet standing on end and the phrase “I AM GOD” stamped in red above the bullet. For those following the story, you know this to be his new catch phrase written on a tarot card left for investigators.
The front cover of any publication is prime acreage and with US News’ distribution reaching 2.2 million Americans, this nut is getting almost as much coverage as the president of the United States. I am a student majoring in public relations and as any good publicist knows, you can’t buy coverage like that. What kind of message do they think they are sending?
The article featuring the sniper outlines the case like most other media outlets. But US News does something a bit more; they have another little exposé within the article about past serial killers. Now it’s no longer news, it’s a score sheet.
Part of the journalism training is this objective detachment to report news clearly and fairly. The sad thing is what some reporters, in my opinion, have failed to realize is the fine line between that and reckless journalism.
Granted, it is atrocious we have to share our breathing space with people like the Washington sniper. Yes, the loss of all those people is devastating and my heart goes out to the families of the victims, but the one person who sickens me more than the psychopath is his publicist.
D’Artagnon Wells is a junior majoring in public relations. Comments can be sent to him at rhdartagnonw@yahoo.com