Does media coverage of mass shootings contribute to copycats? : A systematic literature review

Abstract: This thesis provides a systematic literature review in order to accumulate and analyze previous research concerning the role of mass media's coverage of mass shootings in regards to copycats. Previous research indicates mass shootings are crimes where perpetrators take inspiration from one another and subsequently imitate each other. The purpose of this study is to review previous research on this contagion phenomenon to distinguish if there is a correlation between media coverage of mass shooters and copycats based on empirical data. In order to obtain scientifically accurate conclusions to the research questions and the purpose of this thesis, a systematic literature review method has been implemented. The result shows that previous research indicates that there is a correlation between the mass media's coverage of mass shootings and acts of copycats. There are studies presented in this thesis that conclude that some mass shooters openly confess to seeking fame by carrying out a mass shooting and that they receive as much or more media coverage than household celebrities at the time of the shootings. This thesis also concludes that there is evidence to support that after the occurrence of a mass shooting there is an average increase in the probability that another mass shooting takes place within the following 12 days. These findings support identified statistical trends in previous research in the field.  In conclusion, it is of most importance that the media reports responsibly on mass shootings since the implications of the detailed description of events, modus operandi, the firearm used and the amount of news coverage of mass shootings contribute to copycat mass shootings. Keywords: mass shootings, contagion, imitation, copycat, media coverage, fame seeking, mass media