School shootings as mediatized violence

Abstract

A discussion of the interplay between media and school shootings in the current hyper-mediated context, starting with a description of school shootings as ideal cases for the examination of mediatization, and exploring the specific ways in which media logic articulates itself in this case. The exploration focuses on news media content and framing of school rampages and concludes with critical reflections on the effects and continued relevancy of understanding school shootings as strongly mediatized events, both for their rhetorical importance and in terms of behavioral outcomes and policy developments.