Final answer:
Messages about potential shootings often fail to reach those who could intervene due to misinformation, the echo chamber effect, and ineffective communication channels, compounded by media sensationalism and the cultivation theory's influence on people's perceptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Newman, when shootings have occurred, those messages failed to reach the right ears because of multiple factors. This may include misinformation, the echo chamber effect where information is only exchanged within a group sharing similar views, and a lack of effective communication channels to the authorities or those who could prevent such tragedies.
Additionally, public attitudes about gun control and the polarization of the media can contribute to a disconnect between warning signs and preventing actions. The media's focus on entertainment over fact-based reporting may also have a role, as sensationalism often takes precedence leading to a dilution of serious issues like potential warning signs of violence.
Lastly, there's the phenomenon of the cultivation theory, where media shapes viewers' realities, potentially desensitizing them to the severity of these warnings or making them less likely to act upon them.