If they can dissuade violence without disrespecting victims or their loved ones, photos of the aftermath of shootings should be broadcast to the public.
Last week, the Washington Post published an article headlined: “Why we are publishing disturbing content from AR-15 mass shootings.” The article discusses and defends another piece’s inclusion of real photos taken during and after a mass shooting where the weapon of choice was an AR-15.
A photo from the scene of a shooting is much harder to erase from one’s mind than a paragraph describing it.
Because photos are much more effective in directly conveying the reality of the aftermath of a mass shooting, their use may be the next step in inspiring action from the public.
Mass shootings—421 of which have occurred so far in the United States this year—are unspeakably devastating and horrific events. Whatever means of communication can best convey the extent of that horror must be employed.
Publishing photos alongside articles may be beneficial as they focus on the harm incurred during that horror, rather than sensationalizing the lives of those involved. Attributing too much coverage to shooters, in particular, risks inspiring copycat offenders.
Impactful as they may be, photos shouldn’t be published at the cost of the dignity of the deceased or against the wishes of their loved ones who survive them. Publications should ask living family or friends for consent before sharing photos, particularly if any bodies pictured are identifiable.
Another risk of normalizing publishing photos from mass shootings is the public growing as desensitized to visual representations of violence as they have to verbal representations.
Those most affected by photos will likely be those who already recognize guns as a problem. If such violent visuals become normalized, there will be no more intense a form of representation to graduate to.
Just as much as gun control laws must be altered before we can expect to see reduced numbers of mass shootings, mental health and illness must be addressed as well. Most perpetrators of gun violence suffer from mental illness.
Mass shootings are preventable. Hopefully not many more types of media will need to be employed to inspire the public to act on this fact.
—Journal Editorial Board
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