Over the past 24 hours, a story has popped up in the Canadian media about a disgusting killer.

He's marrying a fellow inmate in a prison back east, and it's receiving national attention because it was distributed by a wireservice.

Media outlets pick up the story and post it. And because this guy is such a creep, readers are curious to see the details.

That fuels page views, which are monetized through ad sales.

The winners in this scenario are media outlets, curious readers, and the repugnant murderer, who reaps a shred of publicity to feed his ego. It's a reminder that people are interested in him.

But there are losers in this scenario, namely families of the victims of this abhorrent criminal, who have to read about him in the papers and see him on TV once again.

The public loses as well, because his sickening and repellent actions have the potential to inspire others to do even worse.

That's why I'm not including his name in this commentary.

Serial killers are routinely covered by the media for various publicity stunts they perpetrate while behind bars.

Clifford Olsen repeatedly contacted journalists following his convictions for murdering Lower Mainland children and teenagers. A psychopathic pig farmer has also been known to talk to the media after being put away for good.

"Conning, manipulation, and a desire to lie for the sake of getting away with it—often referred to as 'duping delight'—are well known characteristics of the psychopath," the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin stated in 2012.

These swaggering murderers revel in being celebrities. The media shouldn't enable this.

Anyone who agrees with me should register their objections with those who continue to keep their names in the news for reasons other than helping to maintain public safety or to draw lessons from their actions.