After mass killings, can media prevent copycats?
Chicago Tribune – July 23
Remember Columbine? Remember the novelty of it all? Mass shootings had occurred before, but April 20, 1999, felt unprecedented, both for the deaths and the depth with which we got to know Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold after the massacre. Fifteen years later, each mass killing seems to fade into the next for those not directly affected. Today’s senselessness and loss ebb just as a new atrocity flows into our national consciousness. We have all gotten used to it. And regardless of whether you attribute this pandemic to too many guns, not enough mental health resources or something else, we all expect to get to know our mass shooters intimately after the fact. We were shown Seung-Hui Cho’s videotaped messages that he sent to NBC in the hours between his two Virginia Tech attacks that killed 32 and wounded 17 in 2007. Elliot Rodger’s face lit up our TV screens as anchors broke down the “Retribution” video he posted to YouTube before he killed six, injured 13 and took his own life in Isla Vista, Calif., earlier this year … Adam Lankford, a University of Alabama criminal justice professor who published a study last year on mass shooters, said a profound “loss of public trust” could occur if information on shooters was withheld from the public. Conspiracy theories blossomed after Sandy Hook, he noted, something that could be “much more inflamed if you keep this information quiet.” Any progress made in understanding mass shooters has come about from publicly accessible details, Lankford said. “How do we expect to study these people and understand them?” he said. “Are we just going to rely on government researchers with security clearances to figure this all out for us and stop it?”
Transitioning from pre-school to Kindergarten
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 4
Transitioning from pre-school to kindergarten can be emotional for both parents and children, but you can make going back to school a little easier. University of Alabama parent resource specialist, Amy Walker, says it’s important to get your child on a routine of going to bed early and waking up earlier. And make sure to attend the school s open house so your student can get comfortable with the classroom and teacher. On the first day, Walker says make sure your child has a lunch they’ll enjoy and a full stomach before heading to school. “If they’re hungry when they go, they’ll be in a bad mood so make sure they have a good breakfast. Make sure if you’re packing a lunch that they have all of the foods that they like … let them join in making their lunch if they want to.” If you find yourself in need of assistance with a child of any age, you can call the Parenting Assistance Line at 1-866-962-3030.
UA Alumni Association to host annual kick-off party in Huntsville (live interview)
WAAY-ABC (Huntsville) – Aug. 4
The University of Alabama is hosting their big kick-off event Aug. 15. To talk more about that we have Kristi Fugit here.
Rece Davis to emcee National Football Foundation annual awards dinner
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 4
A University of Alabama alumnus continues to succeed as a sports commentator … ESPN’s Rece Davis will emcee the 2014 National Football Foundation annual awards dinner for the fifth time. NFF President Steve Hatchell says the company is honored to have Rece Davis return to the event. The dinner will be held in New York City in December. Davis graduated from the University of Alabama in 1988 with a degree in broadcast news and public affairs.