On Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a speaking event at Utah Valley University.
Top news outlets, including NBC News, The New York Times, CNN, Fox News and The Washington Post, continue to cover the tragedy and its aftermath. Videos of his assassination reached millions, according to PBS News.
But that wasn’t the only incident of gun violence that day.
Also on Sept. 10, a teen died after fatally shooting himself and hospitalizing two fellow students at Evergreen High School, 30 miles west of Denver. The shooter fired 20 rounds in nine minutes, according to CBS News.
Coverage of the school shooting includes ABC News, NBC News, CNN News, among local newsrooms like CPR News and The Colorado Sun. Few stories provide updates on critical injuries and the event’s aftermath.
Two gun violence tragedies happened on the same day at nearly the same time. Did you hear about both?
Our knowledge of world events can’t be limited to what’s going viral. The two shootings on Sept. 10 validate that gun violence spares no one. But does our attention?
Mainstream news outlets and social media reveal where our collective attention goes and where it doesn’t. The posts that get likes, shares and reposts explain how privilege, platform and visibility decide whose suffering is heard and remembered.
An Instagram post by Fox News reported Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, earning 469K likes, 364K shares and 20K reposts.
ABC News posted on Instagram reporting multiple students injured in Colorado high school shooting on Sept. 11, receiving 7,159 likes, 1,458 shares and 237 reposts.
What our social media feeds amplify through reposts and shares is not representative of the entire picture.
If we only engage with what’s trending, we only hear the loudest voices. As part of a society heavily shaped by media, it is our responsibility to seek out the stories left out of the spotlight.
Uphold skepticism in what you read and watch. Identify what perspectives may be left out of the story. Consider the biases and privileges that may be at play. And turn to a diverse outlet of news to broaden your media intake.
Instead of consuming news, engage with it.
Kalena O’Connell is the Living Section Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at oconnell27@up.edu
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