IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 58 
Calling on the media to engage in responsible and voluntary journalistic 
practices to deny mass public murderers the attention they desire and 
minimize any possible ‘‘media contagion effect’’ of irresponsible and 
sensationalistic reporting practices. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2023 
Mr. OGLES submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Calling on the media to engage in responsible and voluntary 
journalistic practices to deny mass public murderers the 
attention they desire and minimize any possible ‘‘media 
contagion effect’’ of irresponsible and sensationalistic re-
porting practices. 
Whereas all acts of mass public murder are shameful, cow-
ardly, sickening, and hereby condemned; 
Whereas many mass public murderers have openly stated 
their intention to commit mass murder to gain notoriety, 
infamy, and affect changes in public policy; 
Whereas the United States media widely publicizes these 
murderers’ names, photographs, life stories, motivations, 
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•HCON 58 IH 
social media posts, and manifestos, giving criminals the 
notoriety and infamy they desire; 
Whereas media coverage of a mass public murderer routinely 
outweighs the coverage of the victims; 
Whereas many mass public murderers have researched, stud-
ied, and idolized past acts of violence using the sensa-
tionalistic coverage provided by many media outlets; 
Whereas peer reviewed research adds to a growing body of 
evidence suggesting that current media coverage practices 
concerning mass public shootings demonstrably increase 
the likelihood of future mass public murders, including— 
(1) a 2016 study entitled ‘‘Mass Shootings and the 
Media Contagion Effect’’ published by the American Psy-
chological Association, which suggests a media contagion 
effect; 
(2) a 2017 study entitled ‘‘Mass Shootings: The 
Role of the Media in Promoting Generalized Imitation’’ 
published in the American Journal of Public Health, 
which suggests a generalized imitation effect; and 
(3) a 2022 study entitled ‘‘News coverage and mass 
shootings in the US’’ published in the European Eco-
nomic Review, which suggests a behavioral contagion 
mechanism; 
Whereas research by the Violence Project suggests that mass 
public shootings are linked to and may be a form of sui-
cide; and 
Whereas the media has found ways to responsibly and volun-
tarily limit coverage of other sensitive topics such as sui-
cide, kidnapping, and national security for the common 
good: Now, therefore, be it 
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•HCON 58 IH 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress calls upon the media to volun-
tarily and responsibly— 
(1) cover mass public murderers with the simi-
lar sensitivity as other forms of suicide completion, 
with the understanding that a media contagion ef-
fect may encourage additional tragedies; 
(2) prioritize memorialization and coverage of 
the names, faces, and life stories of innocent victims 
killed or injured in a mass public murder; 
(3) prioritize coverage of the heroism of any law 
enforcement, first responders, or bystanders that in-
tervene, interrupt the attack, kill or subdue the mass 
public murderer, or otherwise assist the victims with 
critical medical assistance; 
(4) minimize harm by implementing policies 
and procedures to deny mass public murderers the 
infamy, notoriety, and public platform they desire; 
(5) deny mass public murderers their publicity- 
related motives and intended goals, such as the pro-
motion of a particular ideology or public policy 
change; 
(6) not name suspected public murderers, ex-
cept when the alleged assailant is still at large and 
it would aid in the suspect’s capture; 
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•HCON 58 IH 
(7) not publish photos of a suspected public 
murderer, except when the alleged assailant is still 
at large and it would aid in the suspect’s capture; 
(8) avoid utilizing flattering social media profile 
pictures and other imagery the mass public mur-
derer proudly took of themselves, shared with others, 
or posted on social media; 
(9) refrain from naming mass public murderers 
in headlines and from displaying photos of mass 
public murderers above the fold of any print copy or 
at the top of any website’s home page; and 
(10) promote data and analysis in mental 
health, criminology, public safety, self-defense, secu-
rity, and other relevant professions to support fur-
ther steps to help eliminate the motivations behind 
mass public murder and deter future attacks. 
Æ 
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