How a Mass Shooting Becomes an Act of Terror
As the nation reels from the atrocity in Orlando, FL- a shooting in a gay nightclub that claimed the lives of over 50 partygoers and wounded 53 others- the public is searching for answers. Who did this? Why?
At times like this, we turn to the news media for explanations. We search for facts to help us understand the motivations for such horrific acts of violence. But in the six hours since the gunman’s death and authorities entered Pulse nightclub in Orlando and began counting the dead, the news media has instead chosen to show the American people exactly how US news organizations manipulate language to warp the coverage of acts like the Orlando shooting.
6–8 AM: SWAT takes down attacker, enters building, media reports on carnage
At this point, the situation is a “shooting” with “mass casualties.” The media won’t call a gunman opening fire in a nightclub and then taking hostages for a period of hours anything stronger than that- at least not yet.
At around 9 AM, the shooter is identified
Once the news media has the name and ethnicity of the shooter, the language surrounding the attack begins to change- now, media outlets say, it might be “terrorism.”
Also note the use of “Islamist ideology.” Should we think here that if the shooter were a Christian, like Dylann Roof, media reports would call this “Christainist ideology?” Of course not- because we know that’s exactly what didn’t happen a year ago in South Carolina.
10 AM- Attack increasingly described as “terror”
Just two things to point out here:
1- What does his family’s roots in Afghanistan have to do with anything? Mateen was born and raised in the US
2- What purpose does it serve having brutal Islamophobe Peter King on to talk about- oh, right.
11 AM- Present
Here’s where we’re at now- the attack is almost exclusively referred to as terror. The shooter’s family background is now part of the story. GOP neocon bigots are sought after for comment.
Funny how mass shootings only become terror once certain conditions are met.