Distorted coverage can fan fear. Yet 71 percent of people, according to one major poll, felt that a school shooting was likely in their community. Distorted coverage can limit understanding. The media influences how people in important positions think, from police officers to judges. So there we have it.
Media are the problem.
And the solution. Reporters must go beyond the yellow-crime scene tape and the grieving relatives. Perhaps seeking a fuller answer would have made the P-I's image part of the broader story rather than just an enduring picture. Without sharper focus, the pictures in our brain will remain fuzzy. And we will be left with the wrongheaded impression that violence is inevitable.