ONE EVENT, TWO STORIES: WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING

ONE EVENT, TWO STORIES: WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING

I heard of the shooting that had taken place in Nashville, Tennessee this Sunday first from the left-leaning CNN, and then decided to venture to a website I never expected to find myself on, Breitbart news.  The differences in coverage made the single event that was being reported seem like two totally separate occurrences. The varying coverages on these two media sites tailored to two different types of Americans speaks volumes to the disappearing political middle ground in our country and explains the disconnect between many democrats and republicans and the rise of extreme beliefs on both sides of the political spectrum.

One of the only significant similarities I could find between the articles was that both news groups commented on how the shooter only wore a green coat and was otherwise completely naked.  This is used in leading the readers to come to the conclusion that he may not have been mentally stable.  CNN then continues to talk about how he was in the possession of an Assault Rifle and had previous run-ins with the law stating, "He was charged with unlawful entry, an arrest report states, but had his charges dismissed after completing community service." The fact that he was able to get off easily with community service following his last offense draws the readers attention to the fact that the issue is within the government for allowing him to not only get off easily for previous charges, but additionally buy multiple fire arms after his previous arrest.   This article again alludes to the need for stricter gun-control laws, mentioning multiple times that the gun was an assault rifle, and further that it was used in assaulting and killing innocent human beings with "bright futures".  They also reveal the names of the victims and talk about how they may have been in life if their lives had not been taken by an assault rifle.

Breitbart news, on the other had, told a totally different story.  Before even getting into the details of the shooting or shooter they speculate that the incident was a result of not the shooter, or the weapon, but rather the rule prohibiting firearms in the restaurant, claiming, "Waffle House has a gun-free policy  The chain prohibits firearms in possession of anyone but law enforcement. This means they ban the guns licensed concealed permit holders would otherwise carry for self-defense while in the restaurant."  The article then goes on, pleasing its extremely conservative readers by blaming the government, like CNN, yet instead of blaming the incident on a lack of regulation, they blame it on what they see as too much regulation.  The logic in this article leads its readers to a seemingly simple solution-- guns are the only way to combat other guns.  Not once does this article mention the victims as more than a statistic, not even mentioning the victim's names as it doesn't want the reader to see guns in a light that makes them seem destructive, but rather as solutions to shootings.If one can draw anything from this stark comparison it should be the fact that our country is in desperate need for news that presents solely facts without subtle, or even obvious diction that sways the reader into viewing events in a certain light, yet it is hard to believe that the news will ever be displayed in an unbias light.