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.