For many college students, encountering reports of violence has become a regular part of consuming news.
Violent incidents frequently appear across traditional news outlets and social media platforms. As students continue to encounter these stories, questions arise about how repeated exposure influences their understanding of violence and public safety.
For sophomore nursing major Alaytia Nelson, social media plays a significant role in how younger audiences encounter violence.
Although she said she has intentionally curated her social media feed to include more positive content, she believes violence has become normalized among younger generations.
“I do think it’s normalized for the mass majority of the youth because of a lot of things we have access to now,” Nelson said.
She pointed to platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, where incidents and disturbing content can circulate widely. Nelson said she has seen people share violent content jokingly, contributing to what she views as an increasingly desensitized audience.
“When you really think about it, it’s not really just a hashtag. It’s a lot of people suffering every single day,” Nelson said, referencing how audiences engage with coverage of international conflicts and wars.
Nelson also believes the continuous circulation of violent content encourages engagement, keeping audiences scrolling while potentially making them less responsive to the events being reported.
“I feel like it keeps people scrolling and thinking,” she said.
That perception is also reflected in the news consumption habits of sophomore international business major Talon Craddock, who said reports of international conflicts, bombings and wars are among the stories she regularly encounters.
“I think violence is very normalized in today’s society,” Craddock said. “I think pretty much every day, whether it’s on the news or social media, I’m seeing something violent.”
When asked whether she would believe it if crime rates were actually low, Craddock expressed skepticism.
“I would not believe it. I think I woke up in a parallel reality or something like that,” she said.
While students describe frequent exposure to violent content, journalism professors Joe Duke and Lisa Collins offered perspectives from inside the newsroom, emphasizing that reporting on violence is not inherently sensationalistic.
Duke, Loyola’s professional-in-residence in journalism, previously worked as a news director at Channel 4 in New Orleans. He said crime remains a subject of public interest and that journalists have an obligation to inform communities about what is happening around them.
“There’s a sense that the world each day is a conflict between good and evil,” Duke said. “And of course, crime fits in the evil category.”
However, Duke emphasized that factual accuracy alone does not determine whether a story is presented responsibly. The way an incident is covered, particularly through television imagery and graphic details, can influence whether reporting crosses into sensationalism.
When asked whether a factually accurate story could still be sensationalized through its presentation, Duke said it certainly could. He explained that journalists must be careful not to intensify already emotional situations through unnecessary graphic imagery.
“I don’t think you should ever exploit violence to attract an audience,” he said.
Duke, who worked in television news during a period when New Orleans experienced significantly higher murder rates, recalled facing pressure from members of the business community to reduce crime coverage because of concerns about the city’s reputation. However, he argued that avoiding crime coverage altogether would be irresponsible because audiences depend on journalists to understand what is happening in their communities.
He also cautioned against going too far in the opposite direction by removing the realities of violence from news coverage.
“I’m opposed to sensationalizing, but I’m also opposed to sanitizing the news. The news is the news,” Duke said.
Collins, a professor of practice in journalism at Loyola, said television newsrooms have developed additional ethical standards over time regarding how violent incidents are presented. Drawing from her background in television news, she explained that news organizations consider whether graphic images, booking photographs, and other details are necessary to inform the public.
Collins described how some newsrooms have changed their policies regarding booking photographs of people who have been arrested. In some cases, news organizations have moved away from publishing mugshots unless they intend to follow the case through the court process.
She explained that individuals sometimes have charges dropped or are acquitted, but their booking photographs can remain online without audiences ever seeing an update.
“Everyone’s innocent until proven guilty, right?” Collins said.
She also noted that social media has created a different environment for violent content because content creators and news influencers do not necessarily follow the same ethical standards as traditional news organizations.
“I think social media is more colorful and violent,” Collins said, explaining that creators may share material that television newsrooms would choose not to broadcast.
Collins also challenged the idea that violence dominates all traditional news coverage. She referenced the phrase “if it bleeds, it leads,” describing it as an older approach to journalism in which the most violent story would receive the most prominent placement.
Although violent incidents can have an outsized impact on audiences, she said newsrooms must consider whether their coverage reflects the communities they serve.
“If all we show on television news are all the shootings that are happening, who’s going to watch that?” Collins said.
Beyond the presentation of individual incidents, both professors emphasized the importance of providing context when reporting on crime.
Duke explained that crime statistics can help audiences distinguish between isolated incidents and larger patterns of violence. A single murder after several months without another does not necessarily indicate a broader crime wave.
Collins similarly said journalists should examine crime data rather than allowing one highly publicized incident to define an entire community.
“Providing context is definitely part of the journalist’s job,” Collins said.
She pointed to newsrooms’ pressure to publish stories quickly, particularly as staffing and resources decline. When reporters are working with limited time and personnel, police press releases may increasingly become the basis for news coverage without additional reporting or context.
“I think newsrooms have to take the time as well to put things in context,” Collins said.
She added that shrinking newsrooms can also limit the range of stories audiences see, particularly when crime becomes one of the primary subjects covered by a limited number of reporters.
The perspectives of the students and journalism professionals highlight a tension between how frequently audiences encounter violent content and how journalists make decisions about what deserves coverage.
While repeated exposure can shape perceptions of public safety, responsible reporting requires more than simply presenting the latest incident. It also requires examining the broader circumstances, providing context and recognizing the impact coverage has on the communities involved.
Ultimately, the conversation surrounding violence extends beyond how it is reported. It also raises questions about how individuals and communities respond to human suffering, their responsibility toward others, and the importance of recognizing the people behind the headlines.
Source: loyolamaroon.com
