Book Helps to Dispels Myths
Another significant outcome of the day came from a reporter and author who attended all three activities. Dave Cullen’s book, Columbine, was released in April and provides the most accurate assessment of the killers’ motives I have seen to date.
Just as importantly, Cullen does a thorough job of showing how the hundreds of inaccurate concepts were disseminated by hundreds of media organizations. His book helps people understand how the media frenzy following major campus violence events can be so inaccurate.
While I already know that much of the media coverage of the event was incorrect, I learned from his book and our discussions why so many of the first hand accounts I had personally heard from campus and law enforcement officials who were directly involved with the incident turned out to be inaccurate. His viewpoint would be helpful to any campus safety professional who must prepare their organization to handle the aftermath of a catastrophic event.
Complex and violent incidents such as the attack at Columbine High School are very difficult to understand. Much of the public perception of the school, the attack itself, motivations of the attackers, missed opportunities to prevent it, and how the response unfolded are incorrect.
The fast pace of crisis situations, sometimes irresponsible media conduct, panicked and unprepared employees, students and family members, emotional pain and suffering and a host of other factors create disinformation. Colorado Rising was a clear reminder that even a decade after a major campus event, we still have lessons to learn. Fortunately, this event was yet another example of the positive efforts that can and should come from every campus tragedy.
