This study, funded by the National Institute of Justice, examined the
impact of media coverage after catastrophic violence. 150 interviews were
conducted from ten communities affected by a school shooting or mass
violence. Informants included those who witnessed the event, those injured,
family members of those affected, first responders, school personnel, and
local community leaders. Interviews were transcribed and then coded for
text segments related to media coverage using Atlas ti software. Four
codes: media, social media, adversities-with the sub code of reminders, and
coping, were examined for themes on the content and impact of traditional
and social media on post-violence impact and recovery. Specifically, we
found that the media was focusing on the crime and those injured and
killed, and less on recovery and coping. We also found that reporters who
did not follow standards for interviewing traumatized individuals had a
negative impact on recovery. We also found that many survivors and family
of the deceased faced additional adversities because of individuals who
would harass them through social media. Lastly, social media can also be
beneficial in that it allowed survivors to receive social support and
to connect with others. These findings have important implications for
helping news reports use different framing techniques when reporting these
events, analyzing the trends of social media, how it can affect traumatized
individuals, and investigating what mental health services will best serve
traumatized patients under the unique conditions that traditional and
social media poses in our technologized society.