MTV: Mission To Terminate Violence

by Greer Howell

"This is serious stuff. Kids now go to school worried about if they are going to be the next victim of gun violence," stated John Norris, an MTV news correspondent in New York City. "When will it stop?" According to John Norris there are a whole collection of causes connected with gun violence, mostly involving a combination of frustration and having no outlet for those feelings. A quick access to guns and an even easier access to suggestive media gives kids who have dealt with harassment and been outcasts all their lives a reason to experiment.

While Norris, however, recognizes the role media has played in violent behavior, he does not see media coverage as directly responsible. "Everything is blown up. There are bigger heroes and bigger villains receiving more fame. It is more dangerous for the media to under-cover than to over-cover." He adds, "When kids have a continuous feeling they are alone in this world, receiving fame from a violent act seems pretty good in their eyes - a way of showing their true desperation. In reality, how many more years of Columbine commemoration are going to occur? People need to put things in the past behind them. By revisiting memories, it is just serving to bring the violence back again."

John Norris has good reason to reflect on the power that the media has on teenage thoughts and reactions. Norris is a graduate of New York University where he majored in Broadcast Journalism. First joining the MTV News department in 1986, Norris hosted a variety of special programming including, "From the Buzz Binn," a series outlining new artists on the music scene; "Positively Global," an MTV News Special Report featuring personal stories from young teenagers around the world affected by HIV/AIDS; "Janet Jackson: Behind the Velvet Rope," a behind the scenes profile of Jackson while on her tour in England. Currently, Norris is working on the campaign covering MTV’s "Choose or Lose 2000."

As a teenager, my first impulsive question to an expert like John Norris was, "What can I do as a friend or a peer to help reduce gun violence?" Norris sees meaningful exchanges as the key. "Communication seems to be the best way of interaction. Loyalty is important when dealing with friends, but is it the only thing when one has to choose between ratting them out or keeping quiet? As a friend, that decision could be fatal."

MTV News Correspondent John Norris