Watching a creature burst from a man’s chest in the first Alien film was certainly unsettling for many moviegoers.
Yet the fear factor was low since we can’t relate to being stuck on a giant spaceship with bloodthirsty creatures.
But when viewers relate to the setting, the fear factor rises.
Take the iconic shower scene from Psycho, for example.
The victim wasn’t on another planet or in a different era. She was at home doing mundane tasks like writing a note and taking a shower.
Then murdered at a vulnerable moment. Something all viewers relate to.
Since then, many people who saw that movie never felt comfortable showering at home alone again.
And the mainstream media takes a similar approach when deciding which violent stories make it to the headlines.
When three gangbangers kill each other in Chicago on a Tuesday night, we don’t hear about it because most viewers don’t relate to gang culture.
Therefore, it doesn’t scare them.
Not to mention, such crimes continuously illustrate that gun control doesn’t work.
But the mainstream media knows you can relate to shopping mall or movie theater incidents.
Race certainly plays a role, but part of what decides what goes on air is the political fear factor.
How Mainstream Media’s Coverage of Mass Shootings Vary
Generally, ‘mass shootings’ are defined in the US as incidents where multiple people are shot and killed in a single event.
The FBI defines mass shootings as incidents where four or more people are killed with a firearm, while the Gun Violence Archive calls a mass shooting an event where four or more people are shot, regardless of whether they are killed or injured.
You can see how the term's definition is flexible to fit political narratives as needed.
Here’s an overview of several shootings with varying media coverage. Let’s see if we spot any patterns. Full list here.
Incidents
Chapel Hill, North Carolina-8/28/23
Killed: 1
Fear Factor: Low. This appears to be a targeted attack, but it hit the news quickly on Monday. After the shooter was identified as Tailei Qi, a Chinese grad student who happened to study at Wuhan University, it fell below the fold.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Detroit, Michigan-8/27/23
Killed: 1
Injured: 5
Fear Factor: Low. It appears to be a domestic dispute that got out of hand at a biker bar, most likely a white-on-white assault.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Louisville, Kentucky-8/27/23
Killed: 2
Injured: 4
Fear Factor: Low. This one happened after a “large gathering” formed outside the bar. It looks like it’s gang-related, with no arrests as of now.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Joppatowne, Maryland-8/26/2023
Killed: 4
Fear Factor: Low. According to WBAL, three adults and one teen were killed in a murder-suicide. Social media research shows this appears to be a black-on-black domestic incident.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Boston, Massachusettsttes-8/26/23
Killed: 0
Injured: 8
Fear Factor: Medium: Shots rang out at Boston’s Carribean celebration last week, and the news quickly spread given the venue, but after a black man was arrested in connection with the assault, it lost momentum. Another black man remains at large.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Pasadena, California 8/25/23
Killed: 0
Injured: 5
Fear Factor: Low. Five people were shot in a parking lot fight—no sign of an arrest, most likely gang-related.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Uniontown, Ohio, 8/24/23
Killed: 5
Fear Factor: Low. It’s an ongoing investigation but appears to be a white-on-white murder-suicide.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Trabuco Canyon, California 8/23/23
Killed: 4
Injured: 6
Fear Factor: Low. At another biker bar, it appears this domestic dispute got out of hand. It was spaghetti night.
Mainstream Coverage: Low
Uvalde, Texas-5/24/2022
Killed: 22
Injured: 18
Fear Factor: High. 18-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire inside Robb Elementary School.
Media Coverage: High, given the victim’s age and high death toll. This scares the hell out of voters. I mean parents.
Highland Park, Illinois 7/4/22
Killed: 7
Injured: 45
Fear Factor: High. 21-year-old Robert Eugene Crimo III opened fire at an Independence Day parade in Northern Illinois. A manhunt ensued as the media went wild.
Mainstream Coverage: High. Although the FBI identified Crimo as white, the media didn’t push the shooter’s image much because he looked like a walking mental health disorder.
Nashville, Tennessee 3/27/23
Killed: 7
Injured: 1
Fear Factor: High. A biological female who claimed to be a male opened fire at a Christian school.
Media Coverage: High given both the victim and the shooter demographic, but they won’t release the shooter’s manifesto “for fear of copycats.”
Jacksonville, Florida-8/26/23
Killed: 4
Fear Factor: High. A white man entered a Dollar General and killed four people in “what is believed to be a racially motivated hate crime.”
Mainstream Coverage: High, and the shooter’s manifesto was released within hours.
Louisville, Kentucky-4/10/23
Killed: 5
Injured: 8
Fear Factor: High. A disgruntled employee walks into a bank and starts shooting in broad daylight. Somewhere you might be. He was a white male.
Mainstream Coverage: High
Have You Checked The Children?
Of course, one can’t expect every shooting to make national headlines.
But it’s interesting to compare stories plastered across CNN for weeks vs. those you’ve never heard of.
If they can increase the fear factor by sharing stories of violence in areas you frequent, you’re more likely to be scared.
And more likely to vote for more gun control.
They want to leave you with a lasting impression, just like the one that keeps you from showering when home alone.
We constantly hear that the problem is right-wing extremists and “gun violence.”
But the real problem is mental health, improperly prescribed medications, poor nutrition, particularly among children, and the destruction of the nuclear family.
We've traced the call... It's coming from inside the house.