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December 07, 2019

Mass Shootings and the Media

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When a mass shooting occurs, media coverage is certain to follow. But, recent research says extensive media coverage of the killers may actually encourage others to kill. Then, Americans toss out billions of pounds of food each year. Yet many consumers are unaware of the impact food waste has.

Episode Segments

Mass Shootings and The Media

Jennifer B. Johnston, PhD, ‎Assistant Professor of Psychology at Western New Mexico University recently led a study that examined the role that media coverage may play in fueling the increase of mass shootings in the U.S. Her study concluded that one of the most effective ways of curbing mass shooting incidents may be to drastically change how news organizations cover them. She is in favor of an organized campaign to convince media organizations to focus more on the victims, rather than the killer, his weapons and his motivations.

Food Waste

American consumers throw away about 80 billion pounds of food a year. Dr. Brian Roe, PhD, McCormick Professor of Agricultural Marketing and Policy at Ohio State University led a study that examined Americans’ attitudes and misconceptions about food waste. He said many consumers think they have good reasons to throw food away, but those perceived benefits are often not real. He noted that food waste is the largest source of municipal solid waste in the U.S. and the most destructive type of household waste in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Cheaters Don\'t Win

Cheating to get ahead is likely to reduce your level of happiness, according to research by Dr. Jan E. Stets, PhD , Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Riverside. In her study, participants were given the opportunity to cheat to get ahead. The 30% who cheated were more likely to report a reduction in happiness, once they considered that others would not see them as moral persons.

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