The San Francisco Standard drew sharp criticism after publishing screenshots of college students' group-chat reactions to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The piece, by reporter Tomoki Chien and published Wednesday, compiled messages submitted by students that the outlet said reflected "unfiltered thoughts" in the immediate aftermath of the attack at Utah Valley University. Some readers and social media users condemned the article and an accompanying Instagram post as tone-deaf and an inappropriate use of private communications in coverage of a violent death.
Chien, who identified himself as a college student in the article, wrote that the screenshots were submitted by peers and that the messages "come largely from liberal students, born and raised in California." The messages published in the story included expressions of shock, anger and, in some instances, celebratory remarks; others expressed empathy and concern about political violence. The San Francisco Standard also posted a slide version of the screenshots to its Instagram account.
Social media comments, as compiled by other news outlets, criticized the decision to publish what some described as private conversations. "This is rage bait," one commenter wrote. Another said, "This is an obscene use of media resources." Users questioned the ethics of soliciting and publishing screenshots of private chats and urged the outlet to focus on other reporting.
The San Francisco Standard did not immediately respond to requests for comment published by other outlets. Editor-in-Chief Kevin Delaney declined a request for comment from the Daily Mail, which first reported the backlash.
The article appeared amid a wave of national coverage about the assassination. Charlie Kirk, 31, a founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, was shot while taking questions from the audience at the Losee Center at Utah Valley University, according to law enforcement and media reports. He was struck in the neck and later died. The FBI said Thursday that the suspect jumped from the roof of the building and fled on foot; investigators released surveillance images and said they were continuing to seek information. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive.
Coverage of the shooting has highlighted both the immediate facts of the attack and broader concerns about political rhetoric and campus safety. Kirk was a frequent campus speaker and a polarizing figure who drew both support and protest at appearances around the country. A petition opposing his visit to the Utah campus had reportedly gathered thousands of signatures prior to the event.
In the article, several of the published chats discussed larger issues raised by the shooting, including gun violence, political polarization and the safety of public events. One message published in the story said, "Killed for speech," while other messages expressed fear that the shooter might have been waiting for a particular question before opening fire. Some messages published in the story expressed celebratory sentiments about the killing, which drew particular condemnation from readers and subscribers who viewed the sharing of such messages as amplifying harmful responses.
The San Francisco Standard described the selection as an effort to show how certain students were reacting in the hours after the attack. The outlet bills itself as "the Bay Area’s fastest growing source for news and information." The piece sits alongside broader coverage about the investigation and national responses, including statements from public figures.
Former President Donald Trump, who had previously praised Kirk, wrote on Truth Social after the shooting that "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," and said investigators were making "big progress." Federal officials have urged anyone with information about the shooting or the person in surveillance images to contact the FBI.
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two young children. News organizations across the political spectrum have been reporting on the attack, the investigation and the reactions it has prompted on college campuses and in national discourse.