Infamous Killers, Forgotten Victims: A Content Analysis of Print Media Coverage of Three Major School Shootings

Mass school shootings continually plague the United States and are no stranger to media coverage. Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University and Sandy Hook Elementary School are among the many instances of mass shootings in schools across the country. Through a content analysis of national (The New York Times) and local (The Denver Post, The Richmond Times, The Hartford Courant) newspaper coverage of these three shootings, this research focuses on coverage discrepancies between the victims and the shooter(s) and research interprets how the media's coverage of mass shootings affects society. Findings suggest that media coverage leads to societal anomie due to national debates over gun control, mental health, and school security. Also, the perpetual use of labels and the level of attention placed on the shooter(s) rather than the victims play a role in the anomic affect of mass school shootings on society.