7# - Exploiting a News Story

After the shooting a Parkland, Florida the national debate on what to do about gun violence has been brought to the forefront. While this sense of urgency was caused in large part due to tragedy itself, the survivors of the tragedy have really made the dent by putting a face to the problem. While it is sadly true that Americans are used to hearing about school shootings frequently, which has led to increasing safety measures and some political debate. This always ends with purposal's from both sides and the issue being put to bed by a speech from the current sitting President on what could be done.

David Hogg

However because of students like Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg who have been the most visible. With Hogg having appeared on news channels CNN, PBS and on HBO's Real Time Bill Maher and Gonzalez having also appeared on CNN, but more was brought into the public eye with speeches at Rally to Support Firearm Legislation and at the March for Our Lives, which both Hogg and Gonzalez participated in. 

Emma Gonzalez

All of this exposure has been both positive and negative, positive in that is was good for the the gun legislation movement and negative that with both Hogg and Gonzalez being public figures makes them easy targets for political opponents.

In February David 2018, Hogg was accused of being a "crisis-actor" in the pocket of anti-gun legislators or is being coached by his father who is a former FBI agent.

In March 2018, Emma Gonzalez appeared in an article with several other teenage activists where in which she tore apart a shooting target. After this article came out the image was altered to show Gonzalez ripping up the constitution instead of the target. The altered image was first appeared on the social media platform Gab which has been criticized for having a largely far-right and white nationalist userbase.

At left is @tyler_mitchell’s photo of @Emma4Change for the cover of @TeenVogue. At right is what so-called “Gun Rights Activists” have photoshopped it into. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/jW6tTOv2Db

— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) March 25, 2018

Washington Post article about the edited picture here.
CNN article about edited picture here.
Teen Vogue here.