Is all the hipe over this sniper the media looking for a strong story, or a republican plan to keep the economy out of the news until after the elections?

I have to wonder if all the media 'hype' on this sort of thing encourages these maniacs.


Regards.....Alan

Hi mnikmm. Welcome to the forum.

I think that is a disgusting accusation to level at either party. Murder for public relations?!? Do you have any proof of this or are you just wildly speculating?

I think nmikmm means the HYPE, not the killings.

Hmm, I could see your point, MT. I'll have to mull that over. If that is the case, mnikmm, I take back my jumping all over you

While I'd like to think no one would "hype" these murders for political gain, I suppose it could happen. Think about Elian Gonzalez (there's name we haven't heard in awhile). That poor boy was exploited by both sides of the political aisle, just to get some Florida votes...and look how well that turned out for everyone!

Of course any hype in the media is the result of their desire for a strong story. That is their job. They take a story, any story, and try to make it interesting enough for the masses to watch.

Now that we have the 24 hour news cycle, the media has to fill in time. As a result, they pick one or two stories and run with them. Two summers ago, it was Chandra Levy and the killer sharks. This past summer, it was the kidnapped girls, and now it is the sniper.

As far as the hype being a Republican plan to keep the economy out of the news, I don't think so. The majority of the cable news is slanted to the left, and so they will take the opportunity to knock the Republicans when they can. The fact is that the economy is boring. It doesn't make for good news, and it doesn't keep the viewer watching.

Mike

too much hype on other things besides elections? There have been some really big issues besides elections. I think that a sniper who has been on a killing spree has to be on the top of media. It has to keep Innocent people from being killed. Yes I think elections are very important but when there are people being killed or girls being kidnapped the american people have to beware of that also.

I think the media is getting a little out of control when it comes to the so- called sniper.

You only have to hear them asking the same questions to their panel of 8 talking head experts before it begins to sound like a broken record. I beleive that this is a big story and it deserves it's place at the top of the news. I just don't think it is really necessary to fly over the crime scene for hours asking questions that nobody knows the answers too until the press conference anyways.

"Is the bullet still in the body right now?"
"How long until we know if it is the sniper?"
"Should we even be calling this person a sniper?"
"What kind of person is the sniper?"
"Could violent sniper video games be part of his training?"

I think this just glorifies the sniper while innocent people are dying. I think that they should just wait for the press confrences and leave the rest up to the police. The investigators have enough on their hand's without having to worry about a camera watching their every move.

I can see how this story is good for ratings, It has the kind of sensational/scary ingredients to keep people glued to their t.v. But I also think that if I were ever unlucky enough to be a victim of the sniper the last thing I would want is for people on national television asking if the bullet was still in my body only 10 minutes after I had been shot. It is becoming less and less about the victims, and more about the sniper being god.

They may just be doing their jobs, but anymore I just watch the news at 10 or read the paper to see what is going on with the story.

Sick an tired: You called this SNIPER a so-called sniper? What do you think a sniper is? It is a sniper. Do you know the definition of sniper? And as for it being the biggest story in the Media it better be. There are now 13 innocent people killed. I hope the media keeps it on the news 24-7. This sniper has got to be stopped! There was one child shot already. Luckily not dead. And now is threatening that children would not be safe. There is always the choice to turn off your TV or radio. Then you wont' have to watch, but I for one if I lived in the area would want to know as much as I could and maybe that will help people to be very careful and hopefully get a license plate number, exactly what this white van looks like and bring this person or persons down as soon as possible.

I thank you for making this very strong point. I completely agree, it is disgusting at best! Also - I was referring to the hype, not the killings. Thanks Madtown!!! I was simply relaying a statement made by one of my students in last week’s class. Anyway - Thanks to the good lord, the offenders have been apprehended.

It is sad to think that a student would be that cynical! Fox did tend to keep it front and center a bit more than CNN the last couple of days, but I can't really fault them. I don't think I would exactly call it HYPE.
Thank God they have been caught. I only hope all of them were caught.