Should Media Show On-air Killings?

Note

After two journalists in Virginia were shot dead on air Wednesday, news organizations and other media faced a decision: With dramatic video of a crime available—some of it shot by the killer himself—were they obliged to put it on air and publish it? Some did, in a limited way, others refused altogether and still others splashed images of the shooting on the front page. CNN Opinion invited commentators to weigh in: Should news organizations and other media outlets show images of an on-air killing?

What is the news value of a snuff film? Essentially, that is what many of us saw Wednesday. The debate about whether news organizations should air the video seems to me to be relatively straightforward, if we draw on the lessons from national security....

Contiinue reading: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/27/opinions/should-media-show-killings-roundup/