This ain't no game

Now that the sniper case has apparently been solved, it is time to take a
hard look at the media's saturation coverage of this horrendous story. And
the harsh truth is that some of us actually made the murderous rampage into
a game, a kind of macabre sporting event.

Because facts were few and public interest was so intense, TV and radio
commentators were forced into the murky world of speculation and drama
creation. Is Chief Moose employing the right strategy? Should the
authorities pay a ransom? What about the kids? And on and on.

It was almost as if an army of speculation zombies had broken into the cable
news studios to spew unending opinions about the al-Qaida factor, the mental
state of the killers, their motivation, their personality traits. America
needed actor Jim Carrey to stand up and scream: "Somebody stop me before I
speculate again!"

Like any competitive sporting event we had two teams – the killing side and
the law-enforcement side. Millions of Americans tuned in to see which
side was making the play and how the other team reacted.

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After a note by the killer was found by police, the media breathlessly
reported that the sniper was threatening the kids! Newspaper headlines
screamed that no child was safe! But the note surfaced a week after a
13-year-old had been shot in front of his school. Any sane American already knew the killer was a threat to kids. No purpose was served by the media
hyping a redundant and gratuitous fear quote.

Then we had a report that stated the sniper was annoyed that the hotline
operators didn't respond adequately to his calls. Did any American need to
know that kind of detail? Did it do us any good to know that? One radio
moron even blamed the killing of the bus driver on a stressed out person
answering the hotline. I mean, how cruel is that?

Sooner or later we are going to have to confront the growing
irresponsibility of the media in America. Of course, we can't have censorship
because then the politicians would rule the world and get away with all
kinds of stuff. But what about self-censorship? Shouldn't Americans be
encouraged to embrace media that does not get hysterical? Shouldn't faulty
reporting and foolish speculation be held against those who do it?

I can tell you that is not happening. Some of the most irresponsible talk
radio and cable TV were rewarded with huge audiences during the sniper
speculation. I think some Americans actually enjoyed the coverage. That is simply depressing.

The truth is this: No media person could possibly know what kind of job
Chief Moose was doing because we have no idea what kind of information he
had in his possession. We could not possibly have ascertained the true
motives of the sniper, because we knew absolutely nothing about him.

Because the airways are owned by you, the people, the electronic media has a
responsibility to inform you with facts and responsible analysis of those
facts. Once we strayed into the swamp of speculation, we actually became the
sniper's accomplices, creating false illusions, promoting rank fear and
giving those maniacs their constant dose of attention.

The sniper coverage has exposed the profit-driven American media for what it has become: A band of laptop carrying marauders that have embraced blood
sport with a vengeance.

Now that the suspected killers are out of action, we need to examine just how this terrible story was reported and expose those that profited from being irresponsible. We in the media, of course, will never police ourselves because to do so would damage a major cash business.

So in the end it will come down to you, the news consumer. We have you in
our sights. And only you can change our aim.