Christchurch and the Press

On March 15th, 2019, a gunman opened fire on worshipers in a New Zealand Mosque, killing 49 on site. Adding yet another mass shooting to a seemingly never-ending list, the press covers the Christchurch Mosque shooting. The press treats this situation similarly to others, yet there is one big difference.

After years of giving the shooter the undeserved fame of having his face plastered across early morning television shows while glossy eyed news observers reel in details of facial features, the sometimes small smirk of satisfaction mass shooters wear after their deed is done, eyes that lack a soul, the amount of melanin in their skin which ultimately dictates the backlash we will see, imagining the now wiped away marks of blood of innocence that coated his weak, ill, and radical self. His name rings through our brains, Nikolas Cruz, Dylann Roof, Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, and hes all we talk about throughout the day.

This shooting, we saw something different of the media. I can't tell you what the name of the Christchurch shooter is. I cannot tell you what race he is. I cannot tell you what religion he is. For once, the press didn't release his name or his face on a broad audience. This is a step in the right direction, because when mass shooters overwhelm our news and social medias and occupy our minds, we open the door for new mass shooters to plot and take action, while we continue to shed less and less tears, and send out our thoughts and prayers, while victims are crying out silent, unheard wails of policy and change.