Mass Shootings & Media: The One Thing Media Does That Makes Us Less Safe | Punters Politics Podcast

In the aftermath of violence, everyone asks the same question: why? But what if the way we ask it — and the stories we tell next — decide whether it happens again?

In this episode, Konrad is joined by Dr Glynn Greensmith, senior lecturer in journalism at Curtin University, to unpack the uncomfortable truth about mass attacks, media coverage, and the hidden incentives shaping what we see, share, and believe. Drawing on decades of research into mass violence, journalism, and copycat behaviour, we explore why attention is often the real reward attackers seek — and how Australia once reduced harm by refusing to give it to them.

We examine how 24-hour news, social media algorithms, and profit-driven media structures collide with public safety, why speculation masquerading as news makes us less informed, and what responsibility journalists, platforms, politicians — and ordinary people — actually carry in moments of crisis.

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