This study examined the characteristics of mass public shootings from 2000 through 2019 that impacted the extent of news coverage.
A negative binomial regression predicting AP story counts indicated substantially greater coverage of shootings with a high number of casualties; that target government facilities, schools, or houses of worship; that are perpetrated by younger assailants, particularly with indications of mental illness; that involve terrorism or hate-motivation; that end in the assailant’s arrest rather than death; and, to a lesser extent, that include larger shares of victims who are White, women, children, and strangers. Overall, the disproportionate coverage contributes to distorted perceptions of risk and reinforces inaccurate stereotypes about these crimes. (publisher abstract modified)
Downloads
Related Datasets
Similar Publications
- Media Contact and Posttraumatic Stress in Employees of New York City Area Businesses after the September 11 Attacks
- Overcoming the Jurisdictional Divide: Compacts for Sharing Law Enforcement Intelligence and Resources
- Family Structure and Secondary Exposure to Violence in the Context of Varying Neighborhood Risks and Resources