Media Lowball Killer’s Atheism – OpEd

The media have had plenty of time to discuss Devin Kelley’s atheism and the role it may have played in gunning down the faithful during a religious service in a Texas church. But few have shown much interest in doing so.

This carries even more weight when we consider what was reported on “Good Morning Washington.” The story said, “a family member says he was an atheist who doesn’t like the church and hated religious people.” Kelley didn’t dislike religious people—he hated them.

The following media outlets cited Kelley’s atheism:

ABC (“Good Morning America”)
Boston Globe
CNN
CNN Wire
Fox News
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
TMZ
Washington Times

The following did a profile of Kelley’s background, but said nothing about his hateful brand of atheism:

Associated Press
CBS
cbsnews.com
NBC
PBS
USA Today
Time.com
Washington Post

The following left-wing Internet sites covered Kelley’s background, but did not report his militant atheism:

Alternet
Daily Beast
Daily Kos
Huffington Post
Mother Jones
Salon
Slate
Think Progress

Kelley’s murderous acts were clearly due to a range of variables, but not to mention that he “hated religious people” is irresponsible.

Had he been an ex-altar boy who attended a Catholic college, it would have been the subject of extensive coverage and unyielding analysis, complete with cheap shots at Catholicism. But because he shared the same animus harbored by many in the media, it wasn’t worth noting.