Horrible events, such as mass shootings, typically gain a lot of media attention, with fear and political outrage not far behind. Social scientific knowledge about topics like violence, gun control, and mental illness, however, is often obscured or excluded from these reports and calls for action. This activity, which can be done as a group or individually, helps readers think about how social scientific evidence can influence policy:
- Browse the Internet to gather two or three news stories from the weeks following a recent mass shooting in the United States.
- What claims are made in these stories about the causes of mass shootings?
- What calls for change are made by victims’ families, politicians, experts, or others?
- What policies are suggested to address mass shootings?
Next, read “A Broader-Based Response to Shootings” by Chis Uggen and think about how social science evidence compares to media reports. What does the evidence suggest we should be doing to address these crimes?
Comments 1
Ifedoyin Idowu Comfort — December 27, 2014
The media is reflecting the society, Whatsoever is done in the society is what the media broadcast. Violence or crime programmes in the media is just exactly what is happening in the media and disseminating this is an avenue for correction, to stop it, because its not developing the society. The media is playing a leadership role in the area, whatever they project is what is going on in the society. therefore media, communication and politics is working hand-in-hand in the sense that, media uses communication to correct political violence or societal violence through media programmes. Also according to the course Leadership in media, it shows the media is playing its role to curb violence in the society.
Ifedoyin Idowu Comfort
Caleb University, Department of Mass Communication, Imota, Lagos State .