After 26 innocent people—20 of them only children—were murdered in Newtown, Conn. in 2012, the entire nation grieved together. President Barack Obama held a press conference and social media was flooded with messages of condolences to the victims and their families. The media covered the story for weeks, talking about how the shooter executed his plan, what semi-automatic rifle he used, how he entered the elementary school, how the staff and students responded in the building and how the families and friends of the victims were coping.

 You could not turn on the news or go on Facebook without seeing someone talk about the Sandy Hook shooting. The media and nation fiercely responded to the heinous murders of these young children, and the national dialogue about gun control and mental health began to shift immensely.

 Without the media coverage, few would have known about the horrific killings of the 20 innocent children and the discussion of gun control and mental health reform would not have been renewed. If few know about mass shootings, how will laws and policies change to better the safety of the citizens? The nation would not be educated on the violent acts that occur nearly everyday in the United States, which is why the media must continue to report mass shootings.

 The contagion effect for killers would be a valid reason to stop covering shootings because no one wants to create more murders after there is coverage about the shootings in the media. However, what needs to change is the way the media covers the shootings—not the coverage itself. The media should talk more often about the victims of the crimes and what is and will be done to help end gun violence in the U.S.

 After every major mass shooting, Obama stands at a podium and expresses his condolences for the victims and their families. During his two terms as president, Obama has stood in front of the nation at least 12 times. At the press conference following the Roseburg, Oregon mass shooting Obama said “somehow this has become routine. The reporting has become routine. My response here, from this podium, has become routine.”

 Obama makes an excellent point—mass shooting coverage has become the new normal. Americans are becoming numb to hearing about victims and shooters and some believe the coverage is starting to become redundant and obsolete. Although this may be somewhat true, that should not be the problem—the problem should be that the media has so many shootings to cover. Without the media’s help, people will not be informed about the innocent lives that are being lost and change will not occur. Actions must be taken to stop these shootings, and as history has proven, the media is a huge catalyst to create change.