Ethics in Current News Coverage

      In the wake of another tragedy in America, I saw many news reports of Las Vegas, some the day of the shooting, that included footage and pictures of innocent victims. This tragic event is not one I take lightly in any way, shape or form. As I was keeping everyone effected in my thoughts, I too thought of all the misuse of power the media used.
      Largely, I saw two main mistakes: the media lacking ethics in what they published and showing racial privilege to the shooter.
      When I heard about the shooting, I was in a hotel in Florida. Originally, there was speculation of there being multiple active shooters. Although this was proven to be false, I appreciated the updates from various news sources. However, that same night, I was given multiple pictures of the shooting. I quickly escaped from the window. I was sick to my stomach. Where is it okay for a reporter to take pictures of a deceased victim? I then researched that the people that were killed were not even identified yet. That infuriated me even more. Not only was the news taking pictures of fallen people, they were also becoming the only source for families to identify their loved ones. At this point, getting a story was more important than being mindful of the individual themselves. In addition, I seldom came across videos of the shooting that was not gory and raw. This coincides with the inappropriate photos. I know that these forms of documentation need to be a part of history, yet I cannot believe that they are needed for the general public. Instead of spreading more jarring footage, I attached a video of Jimmy Kimmel, a Las Vegas native, who urged the public to change in regards to gun control. 


      Further, I believe that the media wrongly named the shooter anything but a terrorist. In America, there is a quick generalization that all terrorists are from the Middle East, but to put it simply, a terrorist is simply someone who rains terror on a society. This terrorist, a White man, went into a hotel with multiple rifles, broke a thick window, shot over 500 hundred people and murdered at least 59 of them, and the media is telling me that he was "a lone wolf," or a "gambler?" I DO NOT CARE. He was a terrorist. Period. Just because this monster was White, it does not give him a pass to be labeled as what he was.
      As a young journalist, I have to constantly be aware of these issues in media. Although I know that there will be mistakes, I cannot let an open breach in ethics be anywhere on my radar. This is a crucial time for media in America. We have an opportunity to truthfully discuss topics violent topics and heavy opinion pieces like gun control. Also, we have an opportunity shift the focus from the aggressor and give it to the people who were affected.
      Please keep the affected people of Las Vegas in your thoughts.

      Love will always win.

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