Washington, DC — President Barack Obama held a press conference today to announce signing into law a bill that prevents U.S. media outlets from naming the shooting suspect in any of their news coverage. This comes just days after a gunman opened fire inside a classroom at a rural Oregon community college, killing nine people and injuring nine others before committing suicide after a shootout with police.
“Today I’m proud to announce the ‘Mass Shooting Bill’, which will prevent the media and it’s coverage from naming the suspect or perpetrator in horrible tragedies like the recent Oregon shooting. If it is some kind of sick fame these individuals desire then that fame is what will be denied,” Obama told reporters. “With the shooting in Oregon, it is important to remember the 9 innocent lives that were lost that day. We must think of heroes like Chris Mintz, who was shot seven times while saving lives and survived, all on his son’s sixth birthday. We must forget the killer.”
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who voted against the bill, told Fox News the new law is a clear violation of freedom of speech.
“This goes against the 1st Amendment and everything the founding fathers envisioned for this great country,” Paul said. “Working alongside with other members of Congress, I promise you that we will get this law repealed.”
After the Oregon shooting, media outlets such as NPR received criticism over articles that named the suspect.
Under the new law, media outlets will face fines of up to $100,000 for naming in print, online, or over the airwaves, the suspect in a mass shooting, which is categorized as the murder of four or more people with no cooling off period.
http://nbc.com.co/obama-passes-mass...r-allowed-to-name-mass-shooting-suspect/
