I totally agree with you. The media really needs to stop talking about this horror and let everyone that are directly affected to be able to mourn their loss in peace. The more attention the media gives to this killer, the more it gives other potential killers ideas that it's ok and how "glorifying" this can be for them. Why can't the news/media portray and repeat more positive deeds people have done that have impacted their community rather than constantly talking about a travesty?
Not sure, but my guess is back in the good old days, this story would have been discussed just as much as it is today, perhaps more. I absolutely guarantee you that if it happened back in the day, it would be the topic of discussion for months to come. Newspapers would likely have published special editions because it would have been huge news across the planet.
Newspaper men and women had to get the story and God help you if you let another newspaper or TV station scoop you. We called them 'reporters' back in the day; they reported something we called the news. They fought for every column inch and their careers depended on getting the story, getting that comment or unnoticed fact. Reporters could be ruthless in those days and reporters wanted headlines above the fold.
Perhaps the story would be covered much more and far longer because it would have been a much bigger story back in the day because these things simply did not happen.
As for others learning to do what this killer did based upon the news reports, I am not sure that can be proven. Seems logical, but is it true? Not sure it is. If it is true, perhaps we need to ban the news?
I do think for the most part, news coverage is sloppy these days and most news organizations are certainly not as good as they once were. Some argue that it is too much coverage and I might agree to a point. But that is how it has always been. I recall when we only had three TV stations and two local papers and no Internet. Most cities had several papers and most papers published special editions as well as both evening and morning editions.
To be fair, lots of papers would be sold because tragic events sell papers and that is what papers need to do and want to do. I am almost jaded enough to say horrific events are things publishers wait for because they want to sell newspapers.
Back in the good old days, coverage was handled differently. Editors actually loved facts and God help you if you behaved like so many