Media portrayals of gun violence depend on race, leading to often very disparate policy responses

Far more Blacks than Whites are killed because of gun violence in the U.S. Despite this fact, when arguing for greater gun control, politicians tend to respond to gun violence involving whites, such as the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings. Wanda V. Parham-Payne argues that much of this difference in policy response is down to how the media portrays gun violence. She writes that the inner city gun violence that disproportionately affects Blacks is portrayed by the media as a manifestation of immorality and individual shortcomings. When gun violence involves whites, on the other hand, the assailant is often portrayed as anomalous or mentally ill.