Text Messaging Blamed For Fatal Shooting?

[Dr. Jack]

Text Messaging Blamed For Fatal Shooting?
from the oh-come-on-now dept

Last month we noted that the press was trying to keep a story going by pulling in a text messaging angle where it didn't belong. It appears that other reporters are trying to build up this angle as well. Someone who prefers to remain anonymous submitted a story from the San Francisco Chronicle about the tragic fatal shooting of a man in Berkeley, California. The man was part of a group of parents who tried to put together "safe" house parties for teens. They tried to keep the parties reasonably-sized, and searched teens entering the house to keep out weapons. One teen with a gun, however, got thrown out, only to return to shoot the guy. A tragic story indeed... but the subhead to the story announces: "Text messaging seen as a culprit in event that took deadly turn." Text messaging? Culprit? It's a stretch at best. The reporter tries to blame the technology by noting that these types of parties sometimes get out of hand when kids start alerting each other via text message as to where such parties are taking place. What that has to do with the rest of the events of the evening is never really explained -- but far be it from the reporter to avoid the ever-popular "blame the technology" hook on a story where it has no place.