A word from Stephen Hunter

Powerline ^ | 18 Dec 2012 | Stephen Hunter

[Rummyfan]

It seems odd that in the orgy of recrimination, faux solemnity and glycerine tears of the past few days on the issue of “What can we do?” no one has mentioned something that is A.) Immediate, B) Cheap and C) Bound to be effective and at the least, D) Certainly worth trying. That is if the New York Times, the Washington Post, People Magazine, NBC, CBS, CNN and Fox–Big Media, USA– were to announce, jointly, the following voluntary policy: “As of January 1, 2013, we will not publish or broadcast the name, photograph or background of anyone who attempts or commits a mass murderer of the active shooter variety. Further, we will work within our professional culture to ‘enforce’ this rule until it becomes a cultural norm. Names of killers will only be acknowledged at the time of adjudication or the issuance of a posthumous investigative finding.”

[Lancey Howard]

...if the New York Times, the Washington Post, People Magazine, NBC, CBS, CNN and Fox–Big Media, USA– were to announce, jointly, the following voluntary policy: “As of January 1, 2013, we will not publish or broadcast the name, photograph or background of anyone who attempts or commits a mass murderer of the active shooter variety.

He forgot to throw in the internet.

/eyeroll

[TChad]

He forgot to throw in the internet.

That came later:

"No, you can’t keep the name and identity secret in this time of Internet and text, but you can certainly change the culture so that the killer doesn’t become a week-long rock star under the auspices of corporate media 24/7 overkill."

[ArmstedFragg]

And... in place of the name, if they could work in something like “scum of the earth”, so he not only died anonymously he died in infamy, that’d be cool too. That should be an effective mantra that’d stick at least as well as “tax cuts for the rich”.

[exnavy]

Just as quick, just as inexpensive, and much more effective, restore all 2nd amendment rights by repealing all firearms laws nationwide.

[wastoute]

They have really repealed all gun laws, effectively. When the gummint IS criminal the law abiding are no longer morally obliged to adhere...

μολὼν λαβέ

[Sherman Logan]

A great idea but ignorant.

In a free market, demand will always find a supply.

After such an event, the public demand for information about the killer is insatiable. It’s similar to the instinctive slowing down to look at the traffic accident. I think doing so is stupid, and I know all it does it accomplished is to bring traffic going the other way on the interstate down to the same crawl as on the side where the accident happened, but I do it anyway. And so does everybody else.

If major media collectively agreed to follow this policy, people would immediately turn to less-major media, and the majors would lose eyeballs and money. So they wouldn’t stick to it for long.

Which is too bad. A side effect of a free market, economic or information, is that sometimes there is strong demand for things that have a negative impact on society.

[nonsporting]

Brilliant idea. Hits the lame stream media right where it hurts.

Since they invariably demagogue the issue in order to deny us our rights, lets give them a COOLING OFF PERIOD until calmer heads prevail.

[Stegall Tx]

I would agree with the idea as long as his name is replaced with something insulting. Not just “accused killer”, but something that questions his masculinity. “Panty waist” was once popular.