With the arrest of a suspect in the killing of a health insurance executive, newsrooms are entering into that frenzied period of competitive reporting where every little nugget of information takes on an outsized significance.
The danger with the case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is that the facts that journalists share will contribute to the glorification of a crime, which could lead to copycat behavior and perpetuate false or distorted information.
News organizations must document this moment where the public is loudly cheering for the man behind a brazen crime by probing the roots of the sentiment as vigorously as they pursue the facts of the case.
If the weapon turns out to be a ghost gun, be accurate about the regulations that apply to such weapons. Brady, a nonprofit organization for gun control, is a good resource.
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