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Virginia Shooting Media Hypocrisy? 5 Violent Murders of Black Bodies CNN and Other Networks Had No Problem Showing

News outlets across the country struggled with how to handle the video of a gunman shooting a TV reporter and cameraman live on air, with many cautiously airing edited versions of the video. On CNN, anchor Carol Costello warned viewers before airing a live video clip of the attack, initially saying the network would only play the clip once. He then later clarified that the network would only play the clip once per hour.

After outcry from social media users, the news network has announced that it will stop playing the video. But why is the same cautious approach absent when it comes to Black victims?

Here are five instances when CNN repeatedly showed Black lives being snuffed out on camera for the whole world to see, but received no public outcry or backlash.

Walter Scott

In one of the most vivid examples of state sanctioned deadly force against an unarmed Black individual,  CNN had no qualms about showing the execution of Walter Scott by Michael Slager, a white North Charleston police officer.

 

Tamir Rice

After footage of 12-year-old Tamir Rice being gunned down by police for playing with a toy gun was released, it was repeatedly shown on news sites all over the country, including CNN.

 

Shooting of Samuel DuBose

Ray Tensing, a white University of Cincinnati police officer, fatally shot Samuel DuBose point blank in the head. The murder footage, which was captured on by Tensing’s body-camera, was repeatedly shown on several news sites. CNN also played it over and over again.

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