Here we go again

Why It’s Time To Stop Media Coverage of Mass Shootings

Only ratings and increased numbness win

Ezinne Ukoha
4 min readFeb 15, 2018

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Since 2018 became a reality — the disturbing trend of weekly reports of high school shootings has been consistent with graphic detail — including images from real-time video — that used to induce pangs of distress — but now only serve as a conduit between the witnesses on the ground and news stations who are giddy for the footage.

The latest national tragedy took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High — located in Parkland, Florida. As usual the chaos is a heartbreaking reality of students barricaded in classrooms as gun shots tear through the shrieks of terror. Those hiding for their lives send text messages to distraught loved ones — while social media works overtime to upload fragments of updated information.

Cablers like CNN — which is the standard default in my household — are immersed in the task of keeping viewers riveted with split screens of various activities while experts are thrown into the circus of breaking down a situation that is pretty self-explanatory.

President Trump tweets his recognition of a an ongoing emergency that he has no desire to confront for obvious reasons. His reaction is generically-inclined compared to the way he passionately honors men in uniform who pay the ultimate price as…

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