Did Paranoid Right-Wing Media Fuel the Pittsburgh Cop Killer's Rage?

Richard Poplawski, the man who allegedly murdered three Pittsburgh cops, was clearly influenced by Fox News's Glenn Beck and right-wing radio.

Poplawski was a neo-Nazi wannabe who railed against blacks, Jews, "Zionists," and gun control. And like many members of the far-right fringe, he allegedly visited Jones' Web sites and posted alarming reports by Jones' writers on the white supremacist message board, Stormfront. (Poplawski's posts are here, authored under the handle, "Braced For Fate.") While Alex Jones generally avoids overt racism, he has found an eager audience on Stormfront by conjuring ... Full Story »

Posted by Dwight Rousu
Tags Help
Subjects: U.S., Politics, Media
Member Tags: Right Wing Media, mental health
Editorial Help
Posted by: Posted by Dwight Rousu - Apr 8, 2009 - 7:35 PM PDT
Content Type: Article
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Dwight Rousu - Apr 8, 2009 - 7:35 PM PDT

Reviews

Show All | Notes | Comments | Quotes | Links
Randy Morrow
4.2
by Randy Morrow - Apr. 10, 2009

This story does a very good job of showing that to the right wing media there is no such thing as bad publicity--just as long as the message gets out--someone will listen.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
Dwight Rousu
3.9
by Dwight Rousu - Apr. 8, 2009

The news provides ties of a multiple cop killer to motivations from a right wing media wingnut.

The limits to freedom of speech are usually capsulized with the "You can't yell FIRE in a crowded theater." It seems dangerously inflammatory paranoid delusions might come under that category also.

See Full Review » (13 answers)

Comments on this story Help (BETA)

NT Rating | My Rating

Ratings

3.8

Good
from 3 reviews (30% confidence)
Quality
3.8
Facts
4.3
Fairness
3.7
Sourcing
3.3
Style
3.7
Context
3.7
Depth
3.0
Enterprise
4.7
Relevance
4.3
Popularity
3.9
Recommendation
4.3
Credibility
3.7
# Reviews
1.5
# Views
5.0
# Likes
1.0
# Emails
1.0
More
How our ratings work »
(See these related stories.)

Links Help

No links yet. Please review this story to add some!