Signal Crimes and Presidential Gun Rhetoric

• In Event: Violence and Terrorism in the News

Abstract

After another mass murder in San Bernadino in January, public shootings were once again a popular news event. Unsurprisingly, President Obama addressed the nation in the days following the attack to express his dismay, as he has in the aftermath of other mass murders such as the ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Oregon Community College. However, there have been a significant number of mass shootings which the president has largely ignored. To date, there has been little research into why some mass shootings merit presidential attention and others do not. Further, what is the impact of presidential rhetoric on public perceptions of mass shootings? In particular, may presidential rhetoric influence moral panics, in turn affecting the public agenda for crime legislation? This study relies on ’signal crimes’ and 'focusing events' as motivating frameworks to examine what elements of a mass shooting make it ripe for presidential attention.

Authors

• Joshua B. Hill, The University of Southern Mississippi

• Nancy E. Marion, The University of Akron