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Keeping Fear to a Minimum in an Age of Popularized Violence

There’s violence everywhere these days, but it seems most prevalent when it comes to real incidents that are later broadcasted or written about on loop. Anything from random muggings to mass shootings winds up disseminated on every major, and many minor, news sources, which not only makes viewers increasingly anxious, but may inspire copycat attacks by appearing to glorify them. However, few sources will avoid these stories because they’re popular and attract more viewers.

What can we do to mitigate this cycle without ignoring the news entirely? While we should know about such incidents, should we change the story, i.e. stop focusing on the criminal and focus more on the victims/aftermath? And, how do we explain violence in a way that doesn’t leave the more vulnerable of our population, like children, afraid that something will happen to them as well?

  • To mitigate fear, I think that it's necessary to emphasize hope. Without hope we cannot anticipate possibility for change, regardless of the situation. Under absolutely no circumstances should a story ever be changed just to make people feel better. Different versions of the same story leads to incorrect information being spread, which can be dangerous in forming people's opinions. Concerning explaining this type of news to our children, we have to emphasize hope here as well. Any child could be the right person that successfully ends some facet of the horrific society we live in today if they are given the right push. – sarahj31996 8 years ago
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