The spontaneous violence that erupted at Asheville High School on Thursday [March 6] needs to be addressed clearly [and] loudly—and without the mention of specific gang names, members, sets or hoods.
The [Xpress] coverage of recent gang activity [“The Writing on the Wall: APD Tracks Local Gangs,” Feb. 27] mentioned that media exposure helps gangs grow in popularity—yet that same article specifically mentioned a local gang. I hope that the coverage of the violence at Asheville High School will not play down the seriousness of this incident, and will also not mention the names and reputations of any local gangs.
I am concerned with any article that mentions gangs by name and thus gives them something to brag about. What better advertising than free media exposure? Don’t give it to them.
— Cory Finneron
Candler
1 thought on “Media shouldn’t advertise for gangs”
The media and the cops love to play up the gang thing. The cops get more funding and the media gets more readers/viewers/listeners. There are far larger problems in asheville than ‘gangs’, and no respectable “Gang Expert” would say that street-level enforcement will do anything to deter them. Gangs and crime will always exist in the kind of dead-end housing projects with no real economy that asheville loves to maintain.
This is just an excuse to further Militarize the Police and spread fear and racism/classism through our community.