# How should the media tackle the "hierarchy of death" problem?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 14, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829 "2022-04-14T16:55:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829/61 "2022-04-18T13:31:43Z")

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> [@Mijin](#):
>
> Do you know anyone that believed shaver’s death was justified?

Yes, I have heard and read defenses of the officer’s actions in the Shaver shooter.

> [@Mijin](#):
>
> I haven’t come across any examples of anyone claiming Daniel shaver’s death was appropriate or justified (apart from the judge).

and, more importantly, the jury. So you clearly already have examples of the shooting being justified, and a group of people accepting that justification.

> [@Mijin](#):
>
> Meanwhile those same people will try any and all excuses to handwave brutality against blacks. For example they go on rants about Floyd was “drugged up”.

So what? I’m not on their side. People are biased arseholes on a regular basis. I think _both_ shootings are terrible and the world would be better if _all_ such examples are given full publicity regardless of the ethnicity of the victim.

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829/62 "2022-04-19T20:16:05Z")

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> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> When there is skew of less/more coverage for a particualr ethnicity, is it an example of the media or society caring less/more about that ethnicity or not?
> 
> You seem to want it both ways

No I’m saying two different situations are different for the reasons I’ve given.

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829/63 "2022-04-19T20:18:41Z")

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> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> you are apply your own hierarchy of death then

If that’s how you want to define “hierarchy of death” then yes. The law also considers details of the death important too.

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-media-tackle-the-hierarchy-of-death-problem/962829/64 "2022-04-28T16:22:29Z")

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> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> This dilemma is why _Network_ (1976) is probably my favorite movie.
> 
> It shows that journalism driven by the profit motive is not journalism, because of how it inverts the service relationship.
> 
> To a modern audience, it seems like grousing about an obvious truth.
> 
> But at the time it was released, it was essentially science fiction (for the science of economic anthropology).

“Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!”

~Max

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