A "Massacre" Or A "Tragedy?"

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: CBS News Issues

(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Today, CBS News made the decision to stop referring to the Virginia Tech shootings as a "massacre." Instead, the outlet will use the word "tragedy."

The change in terminology shifts focus from the horror of the shootings to the sadness they have caused. "Massacre" is a dramatic word that evokes slaughter; "tragedy" is more passive, less tied to an individual act. It is, according to dictionary.com's interpretation of the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, "a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster." A massacre, by contrast, is defined as "the unnecessary, indiscriminate killing of a large number of human beings or animals, as in barbarous warfare or persecution or for revenge or plunder."

Many news outlets have been using "massacre," including CNN and Fox News, which have been putting the words "campus massacre" onscreen when discussing the story. CBS News Vice President Paul Friedman, who oversees hard news coverage, declined to comment on the change.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by jburdman7 April 19, 2007 4:05 PM EDT: Let's have some perspective here. If 32 dead, as tragic as it is, is referred to as a "massacre," I ask you what words are left to describe Rwanda, with 800,000 dead. And Somalia, and the Sudan?

The over-use of any word will slowly destroy its meaning, and really dis' those suffering the true massacres. It is in sympathy for those suffering the true massacres that the use here offends me.

Nice to see CBS has changed the term, just in time for this story to drop 'below the fold'. They have already gotten their 'mileage' from the use of the term. For this timely correction, I ask we give them a collective "Bronx cheer".; Reply to this comment


by nursewendy68 April 19, 2007 11:37 AM EDT: I think that the word massacre is more than adequate to describe the murderous acts in VA. I would reserve the word "tragedy" for the acts of others who seek to profit from such an event by cold heartedly airing pictures and videos left behind by the murderer. Think of the families for goodness sake! If it was your child, would you want this man's rantings blaring out of your t.v. set? Of course, a reasonable option would be to create a primetime T.V. special and promote it heavily. That way you get your ratings and the rest of us that would prefer to show our respect to those grieving can opt out of viewing.; Reply to this comment


by jimhla April 19, 2007 11:12 AM EDT: The massacre was a tragedy.

But that's just my opinion.

What happened to just reporting the plain, unembellished facts?

You write here "the horror of the shootings." Horror according to whom? You? Were you there? You're assuming it was a "horror" to someone somewhere and thus an implied fact. Thereby rationalizing your subjective adjective as a proper and universal decription of the event. It isn't. If anyone should be describing the horror, it should be the people who witnessed it, not reporting it.

Since the mid-1970's television news has been using evocative adjectives in a market research driven attempt to hook the audience in on an emotional level.

We no longer get, just the news. We get the facts colorfully embellished by the copy writer, story producer or reporter.

Thirty years later, journalism students believe this is the correct way to write the news. "Who, what, when, where, why and how," have given way to "shocking," "horror" and "tragic."

And TV execs wonder why viewership has been on a thirty year decline.; Reply to this comment


by newsnew April 19, 2007 7:36 AM EDT: Unfortunately no one will make the connection that this person was taking antidepressant drugs which make you suicidal. All of theses individuals that do these types of crimes including the people at columbine were taking these drugs. Why doesn't anyone reporting on this. There should be a lawsuit suing the companies of these products. The networks endlessly shows this story over but 30 people is nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands dead in Iraq.; Reply to this comment


by alphaa10-2009 April 19, 2007 7:07 AM EDT: Unfortunately, CBS has won dishonors on this story. To parade the video rant of the shooter on its "front page" is a distinct public disservice. It is also a clear play by CBS to gather a crowd of sensation-hunters, in the finest traditions of tabloid TV.

The shooter's rant is said to be hate-filled, psychotic posturing-- and what else did we expect? The rant contributes little of in-depth reportage or to understanding his mental disturbance.

Truth be told, CBS needs to cultivate higher professional standards, not ignore them. Such standards are especially needed now, when journalists might do more than serve as an alternative to YouTube.; Reply to this comment


by patrick404 April 19, 2007 2:57 AM EDT: Tragedgy implies that the 32 victims are some how at fault for the insanity of the killer. We all have problems, its just that most people don't go out and murder others to solve problems. Cho Seung Hui knows the difference between right and wrong. The terrorists that hijacked and crashed two airliners into the twin towers also knew the difference between right and wrong. To call 9-11 a tragedy implies that those terrorists were simply misundertood and that their actions while wrong is some how our fault!

Katrina is a tragedy. The tsunami that wrecked havoc is a tragedy.

32 people were murdered at Virgina Tech. Murder is murder, it is not a tragedy.; Reply to this comment


by ronmwanga April 19, 2007 1:23 AM EDT: Much better than "Rampage."; Reply to this comment

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