DO NOT NAME THE PERPETRATORS.
This is the rallying cry of the hashtags #NoNotoriety and #DontNameThem.
According to a recent article in The Guardian, media focus on the victims of mass shootings is almost a peripheral issue to the event. After giving so much sensational coverage to the event and the perpetrator (the shooter), media outlets almost concede to adding precious media space to the victims. The clickbait is the shooter. The event. The weapon(s) used. The motives. The victims are not clickbait and thus are relegated to secondary status.
The No Notoriety campaign to put an end to naming the perpetrator of an active shooter event aims to deprive violent potential perpetrators the media celebrity and spotlight they crave. By minimizing the number of times a shooter is named or sensationalized in the media, the prospect of infamy may be lessened for others who may be inspired by copycat crimes. It also sends the message that the killer and his actions are less important than the lives and actions of the victims.
The Don’t Name Them campaign has a similar message – don’t sensationalize the names of shooters when reporting about a shooting event. A perpetrator’s name is important to apprehend them and bring them to justice. , but once a perpetrator has been captured, their name is no longer a necessary part of the story.
This concept should also inform people in their own social media use and even their discussions with their family, friends, and colleagues. If you are going to Facebook post about a shooting, don’t name the perpetrator. Don’t re-post his “manifesto” and don’t give a voice to his violent Facebook posts.