The Columbine Massacre

April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, two students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 of their fellow students and one teacher. This incident would later be known as The Columbine High School massacre and is the deadliest high school shooting in US history. These two students also injured 21 others, and three others were injured while trying to escape the school. The two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, would later commit suicide following their brutal attack on their fellow students. The massacre generated a lot of debate in the media over gun control laws and bullying, and it resulted in an increased emphasis on school security. This event was broadcasted live on television as breaking news shortly

In our day-to-day lives, there are many different stories that we hear about in the news. These stories can range from sports, business, politics, and crime. The public’s perception of crime is influenced by the way it is covered in the media and how they cover these events (Understanding how the media reports crime pdf.). The Columbine massacre was breaking news on CNN. I remember hearing about this event when I was stationed in San Diego, California, on a Navy ship. But what motivated the media to cover this story? The media is most likely going to focus on stories that are unique, sensational, extreme, and those that impact the greatest number of people (Understanding how the media reports crime pdf.). This event was rare, extreme and, at the time, there had not been an event like this in our country. It was shocking. The visual images from CNN’s coverage also drove the point home in how rare and shocking this event was. A lot of the images were of the students running away from the school. In the days following the event, certain victims would be interviewed by various media

The interview conducted by Katie Couric on the Today show in 1999 allowed the victims and families to tell their side of the story, it illustrated an important issue, and it showed us the viewers the human feeling and experience from the victim and family member. Reporters are well served by the advice to approach victims and their families and friends with dignity, respect, care, and compassion (Carter & Bucqueroux, Interviewing victims pdf). Katie Couric showed me that she respected and cared about the victims and she was compassionate, especially when she placed her hand on the father’s arm as he was getting emotional. The media in this interview was responsible in how the interview was conducted and how they treated the victims and families. The five rules of ethical journalism are: truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and impartiality, humanity, and accountability (Responsible Journalism powerpoint). Katie Couric allowed the victim to tell his side of the story and she showed humanity by comforting the father when he got emotional. By allowing the victim to tell his side of the story it gave him some closure to this