Connor Murphy is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and it’s high time we dissect how the mainstream media, like CNN and Fox News, is framing this tragedy. The narrative is shockingly similar: a once-influential fitness personality meets an abrupt and sensational demise abroad. But are they really covering the story, or are they exploiting it for views?

What’s notably absent from this entire coverage is any substantial inquiry into the pressures that influencers face. Instead, outlets are more interested in the spectacle—drowning, erratic behavior, the whole tragic show. CNN wants clicks, and their sensationalist storytelling offers no nuance. They don’t bother to ask why a person under public scrutiny suffers to the point of erratic behavior. Fox News, on the other hand, uses this as a misfit cautionary tale, claiming it illustrates the dangers of fame in a digital era. They’re selling fear, not insight.

Moreover, the underlying mental health crisis among young influencers is brushed aside, as if the very culture that created Murphy is absolved of any responsibility. These networks churn out headlines while ignoring the consequences of a society that idolizes ‘looksmaxxing’ and superficial success. What does that say about our values?

In their rush to dramatize, the message is clear: some lives are just a narrative to commodify and consume, leaving the deeper issues unchecked. Until we start discussing the toxic environment that drives such behavior, we are merely spectators of tragedy in this never-ending media circus.