The Copycat Effect
(January-February 2007 issue)
The authorities in the discipline of forensic psychology have analyzed with keen attention how in the name of heaven and hell does society breed criminal-minded, morbid-brained mad caps.
Yours truly, for instance, is admittedly morbid-brained (but emphatically not criminal-minded nor a mad cap); this for the reason that I am born of medical practitioners of a mother and father whose daily discussions on hospital deaths over breakfast have been entrenched in the recesses of my subconscious.
Forensic psychologists (God bless them), moreover, in a study conducted to determine the triggers of criminal tendencies, arrived at a conclusion that cultural conditioning, psychosis or a person’s traumatic upbringing can elicit criminal propensity.
However, apart from the triggers mentioned, what else can be taken into account as a justifiable reason for triggering a criminal psyche?
Three words: Media. Lame censorship.
The Copycat Effect (coined by Loren Coleman used in his book of the same title) is a tendency of sensational media hype about violence and criminalities to result in more of the same through imitation. In an article written by Michael Hammerschlag on the copycat effect, he reasoned coherently that “…in a nation of 300 million people there are enough twisted individuals to latch on the sickest example…if it’s drawn clearly enough. “
Case in point: I happened to drop by a Makati outlet of McDonald’s for a later than usual breakfast when a poster glued over a building wall caught my interest.
The poster exhibits a bloodied body of a middle aged man with black text screaming Kay Lito Glean. Walang Atrasan (For Lito Glean. No Retreat.).
I stood before the wall for a moment, examining the notice and wondering to myself who on earth is this slain man and why a testimonial of his misfortune is on display for pedestrians, both adults and the young at that, to gawk at.
As a consequence of this encounter, I munched on my breakfast trying especially hard to think of rainbows and daffodils so as not to lose my appetite over a foul display of some poor person’s bloodied remains.
From an online research, I learned that Lito Glean—the murdered man on the notice—
was the security chief of Jejomar Binay, Makati Mayor and a major opposition politician. September 16th of 2006, Glean was gunned down at a gas station in Fort Bonifacio, a posh shopping and residential area in central Manila. The murder is viewed as nothing else but politically motivated (duh).
I acknowledge the truth of Lito Glean’s people’s bereavement and rage over the former’s unfortunate murder. I understand that no amount of street and media exposure could contain the misery they bear heavy on their shoulders. I realize the pathetic probability of justice delayed or never accomplished.
But for crying out loud, whatever happened to the protection of the civilians against malicious media and their vulnerability to irresponsible media hype such as the Lito Glean crusade and its macabre parade of bad publicity?
This, along with sensational, sex-embracing, violence-happy tabloids (Misis, kinatay ni mister: bloody foul), pollutes and adulterates the populace.
Alas, these days, whether we like it or not, parents can only do so much to safeguard their children.
Just ponder on Murphy’s Law number seven: Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
Yes.
***
The student-journalists of the Benildean Press Corps receive incentives in the form of tuition subsidy.
The subsidy is granted and approved by the Students’ Grants Unit, an office working under the college administration.
The amount deducted from a student-journalist’s tuition is reimbursed from the fees the rest of the non-scholar members of the student body disburse.
Hence, the college administration nor the La Salle system is not directly responsible for the incentives granted to the student-journalists.
For this reason, the Benildean Press Corps is in service to the student body that proffer part of their tuition for the publication of the college paper.
In this case, I beg of you, my old lady tyrant: Please do not assume you could impose your authority or intentions and play the despot in our little campus press room drama.
We do not and shall never owe you.
The authorities in the discipline of forensic psychology have analyzed with keen attention how in the name of heaven and hell does society breed criminal-minded, morbid-brained mad caps.
Yours truly, for instance, is admittedly morbid-brained (but emphatically not criminal-minded nor a mad cap); this for the reason that I am born of medical practitioners of a mother and father whose daily discussions on hospital deaths over breakfast have been entrenched in the recesses of my subconscious.
Forensic psychologists (God bless them), moreover, in a study conducted to determine the triggers of criminal tendencies, arrived at a conclusion that cultural conditioning, psychosis or a person’s traumatic upbringing can elicit criminal propensity.
However, apart from the triggers mentioned, what else can be taken into account as a justifiable reason for triggering a criminal psyche?
Three words: Media. Lame censorship.
The Copycat Effect (coined by Loren Coleman used in his book of the same title) is a tendency of sensational media hype about violence and criminalities to result in more of the same through imitation. In an article written by Michael Hammerschlag on the copycat effect, he reasoned coherently that “…in a nation of 300 million people there are enough twisted individuals to latch on the sickest example…if it’s drawn clearly enough. “
Case in point: I happened to drop by a Makati outlet of McDonald’s for a later than usual breakfast when a poster glued over a building wall caught my interest.
The poster exhibits a bloodied body of a middle aged man with black text screaming Kay Lito Glean. Walang Atrasan (For Lito Glean. No Retreat.).
I stood before the wall for a moment, examining the notice and wondering to myself who on earth is this slain man and why a testimonial of his misfortune is on display for pedestrians, both adults and the young at that, to gawk at.
As a consequence of this encounter, I munched on my breakfast trying especially hard to think of rainbows and daffodils so as not to lose my appetite over a foul display of some poor person’s bloodied remains.
From an online research, I learned that Lito Glean—the murdered man on the notice—
was the security chief of Jejomar Binay, Makati Mayor and a major opposition politician. September 16th of 2006, Glean was gunned down at a gas station in Fort Bonifacio, a posh shopping and residential area in central Manila. The murder is viewed as nothing else but politically motivated (duh).
I acknowledge the truth of Lito Glean’s people’s bereavement and rage over the former’s unfortunate murder. I understand that no amount of street and media exposure could contain the misery they bear heavy on their shoulders. I realize the pathetic probability of justice delayed or never accomplished.
But for crying out loud, whatever happened to the protection of the civilians against malicious media and their vulnerability to irresponsible media hype such as the Lito Glean crusade and its macabre parade of bad publicity?
This, along with sensational, sex-embracing, violence-happy tabloids (Misis, kinatay ni mister: bloody foul), pollutes and adulterates the populace.
Alas, these days, whether we like it or not, parents can only do so much to safeguard their children.
Just ponder on Murphy’s Law number seven: Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
Yes.
***
The student-journalists of the Benildean Press Corps receive incentives in the form of tuition subsidy.
The subsidy is granted and approved by the Students’ Grants Unit, an office working under the college administration.
The amount deducted from a student-journalist’s tuition is reimbursed from the fees the rest of the non-scholar members of the student body disburse.
Hence, the college administration nor the La Salle system is not directly responsible for the incentives granted to the student-journalists.
For this reason, the Benildean Press Corps is in service to the student body that proffer part of their tuition for the publication of the college paper.
In this case, I beg of you, my old lady tyrant: Please do not assume you could impose your authority or intentions and play the despot in our little campus press room drama.
We do not and shall never owe you.
Read up on bribery and while you’re at it, the Campus Journalism Act of 1991’s Declaration of Policy: “It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and protect the freedom of the press even at the campus level and to promote the development and growth of campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical values…”
Ethics: munch through it. Then wash it down with self-respect.
No apologies for spreading the truth.
Ethics: munch through it. Then wash it down with self-respect.
No apologies for spreading the truth.
posted by Louella | 5:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home