This study examined the characteristics of mass public shootings from 2000 through 2019 that impacted the extent of news coverage. A negative binomial regression predicting AP story counts indicated substantially greater coverage of shootings with a high number of casualties; that target government facilities, schools, or houses of worship; that are perpetrated by younger assailants, particularly with indications of mental illness; that involve terrorism or hate-motivation; that end in the assailant’s arrest rather than death; and, to a lesser extent, that include larger shares of victims who are White, women, children, and strangers. Overall, the disproportionate coverage contributes to distorted perceptions of risk and reinforces inaccurate stereotypes about these crimes.

这项研究研究了2000年至2019年期间发生的大规模枪击事件的特征，这些特征影响了新闻报道的范围。预测美联社报道数的负二项式回归表明，伤亡人数众多的枪击事件覆盖面更大；以政府设施，学校或礼拜堂为目标；由年轻袭击者犯下的罪行，特别是带有精神疾病的迹象；涉及恐怖主义或仇恨动机；最终使袭击者被捕而不是死亡；在较小的范围内，其中包括较大比例的白人，妇女，儿童和陌生人受害者。总体而言，覆盖率过高会加剧人们对风险的看法，并加剧了对这些犯罪的不正确刻板印象。