Stop Making Murderers Famous

‘The Next One’ ALERRT Center at Texas State recognizes new active shooter video Stop Making Murderers Famous

The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training  (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University has been joined by several national organizations and media outlets  in support of our DontNameThem active shooter campaign, encouraging media and the public to Stop Making Murderers Famous by limit the focus on the shooter and direct attention to the victims, survivors, their families and the community as they begin the recovery process.

A new, powerful video message on this topic comes from Max Stossel, an award-winning poet/filmmaker who has been working in and studying social media for the past eight years. Stossel made this video because people are dying far too frequently from something that can be prevented. Gun regulation is a polarizing issue, but no matter your stance on it… we should all be able to agree to Stop Making Murderers Famous.

View and share Stossel’s video here:  

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/170405381

Vimeo full screen: https://player.vimeo.com/video/170405381

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/max.stossel/posts/10209796865062493?notif_t=like&notif_id=1465774814874047

Stossel has seen the powerful effect of our systemic need for digital validation from individuals and media organizations alike, and was not surprised to find the research showing killings that receive national or international media attention inspire similar events to a statistical significance.

Stossel says, “We’re in the wild west of digital media, but through this campaign, several of the leading millennial news outlets share an interest in establishing a policy around responsible coverage of these events, We’re working to get these policies into place and we hope that other news organizations will join us to take a stand in a similar manner. It’s a rare opportunity to be able to make such a significant, tangible, life-or-death difference with such a simple action.”

Stossel created this video several months ago – with the hope that he would not have to ever release it. But, as we all know, “The Next One” continues to be a heartbreaking reality in headlines and on the airwaves.

From People Magazine to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), this campaign is drawing interest as policies are revisited. We are asking the media to recognize the power of the press and agree to offer logical, research-based and immediate action to respond to these horrific events:

• Limit the name and likeness of the individual in reporting, except when the alleged assailant is still at large and in doing so would aid in the assailant’s capture.
• Refuse to broadcast/publish self-serving statements, photos, videos and/or manifestos made by the individual. Elevate the names and likenesses of all victims killed and/or injured to send the message their lives are more important than the killer.
• Recognize that the prospect of infamy could serve as a motivating factor for other individuals to kill others and could inspire copycat crimes.  Keep this responsibility in mind when reporting on these events.

The “copycat” contagion effect is real. Through your actions today, you might prevent “The Next One.”