The horrific events in Christchurch were undertaken by a person who was not only determined to terrorise, but also to inspire others with their actions. 

In support of this the attacker appears to have specifically intended to be arrested in order to continue promoting his beliefs, and signaling to those who share his ideology, through his inevitable trial.

Already, in his first court appearance, he has displayed a popular white supremacist hand gesture - a gesture that was photographed and widely published by media in attendance.

He is now suggesting that he wants to represent himself in his trial, a choice that will give him an opportunity to speak much more freely than he would otherwise be able to.

With this in mind we are asking all that New Zealand Media and Press Agencies pledge not to cover the this man's trial in any more detail than absolutely necessary. 

We ask that only the bare minimum of simple factual information be reported throughout the trial. And that they make this pledge not only for domestic reporting, but for reports supplied to international outlets also.

This is a request that pushes against much of what media businesses consider important, but we believe it's more important not to let those behind these attacks co-opt the media to continue spreading their ideology as they make their way through our justice system.