ABSTRACT
For much of the twentieth century, as radio and television matured as sources of news and entertainment, critical incidents began to take place against the backdrop of an increasingly crowded, mass-mediated, and “noisy” cultural context. News of incidents reached an interested public more quickly, more people were able to witness norm-altering events as they took place, and a growing public chorus of voices could be heard explaining those events with theories, evidence, and claimed expertise.
