Bill Text: HI SCR19 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Encouraging The Media, Law Enforcement, And Information Officers To Adopt A No-notoriety Approach To Reporting On Mass Shooters And Perpetrators Of Other Mass Crimes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-28 - Referred to PSM, JDC. [SCR19 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2020-SCR19-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	19
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

encouraging the media, law enforcement, and information officers to adopt a no-notoriety approach to reporting on mass shooters and perpetrators of other mass crimes.

 

 

     WHEREAS, it is routine for journalists, media outlets, and law enforcement to release the name and likeness of mass shooters and perpetrators of other mass crimes in an effort to inform the public and apprehend suspects; and

 

     WHEREAS, some journalists and media outlets continue to use a suspect's name and likeness or further report on details of the suspect's life, including photos, videos, social media posts, manifestos, and other self-serving statements created by the suspect, thereby giving the suspect valuable airtime and glorifying their crimes; and

 

     WHEREAS, some attackers are motivated to commit crimes by a desire for fame, notoriety, or recognition; and

 

     WHEREAS, media sensationalism and focus on the suspect provides the fame, notoriety, and recognition the suspect aimed to achieve by committing mass crimes; and

 

     WHEREAS, media coverage of mass crimes can lead to a contagion effect producing copycat crimes and attackers seeking to outdo previous coverage; and

 

     WHEREAS, persons who commit mass crimes should receive no more notoriety than they received prior to the commission of their heinous and criminal acts; and

 

     WHEREAS, after a suspect has been apprehended, focus should be placed on the real stories of the victims and heroes; and

 

     WHEREAS, shifting the focus away from the attacker deprives the attacker and potential copycat attackers from the media celebrity and spotlight they seek; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Don't Name Them campaign, a coordinated effort by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University, I Love U Guys Foundation, and Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the No Notoriety campaign, founded by family members of the victims of the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting, aim to encourage media, law enforcement, and public information officers to report responsibly about mass crimes and move their focus from the attackers to the victims and heroes who stop and prevent crimes; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the House of Representatives concurring, that the media, law enforcement, and information officers in the State are encouraged to adopt a no-notoriety approach to reporting on mass shootings and other mass crimes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the media, law enforcement, and information officers in the State are encouraged to:

 

     (1)  Balance the public's need for information versus the potential harm when reporting on suspects of mass crimes;

 

     (2)  Recognize that notoriety serves as a motivating factor for suspects of mass crimes and inspires copycat crimes;

 

     (3)  Report facts surrounding the mindset, demographic, and motivational profile of the suspect while downplaying the suspect's name and likeness, unless necessary for apprehension;

 

     (4)  Limit the name of a suspect to once per piece as a reference point, avoid using the suspect's name in headlines, and limit use of the suspect's likeness;

 

     (5)  Refuse to broadcast or publish self-serving statements, photos, videos, manifestos, social media posts, and similar expressions made by the suspect;

 

     (6)  Focus on and elevate the names and likenesses of the victims and frame messaging that shows the victims' lives are more important than the suspect's actions; and

 

     (7)  Promote data and analysis from mental health and public safety professionals to assist in the elimination of the motivation for mass crimes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Adjutant General; Chief Information Officer; Director of Public Safety; Superintendent of Education; Chairperson of the Board of Education; Mayors of the City and County of Honolulu, County of Maui, County of Kauai, and County of Hawaii; presiding officer of each county council; Chiefs of Police of the Honolulu Police Department, Maui Police Department, Kauai Police Department, and Hawaii Police Department; and major media outlets throughout the State of Hawaii.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

No-Notoriety Approach to Mass Criminals