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Articles on Media violence

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With the ever-increasing media coverage of mass shootings in the U.S., even the youngest children are now repeatedly exposed to violent images on TV and online. Blend Images/Inti St Clair/Tetra Images via Getty Images

Children are bombarded with violence in the news – here’s how to help them cope

The unending stream of violence on news and entertainment programming can have a negative impact on kids of all ages.
It’s no surprise the TV coverage makes you want a drink. Elise Amendola/AP

Media more stressful for some than witnessing Boston bombs

Those who experience a terrorist attack firsthand are prone to suffer from acute stress. That much is obvious. But does living that experience repeatedly through the media’s coverage of the event cause…
What has Showtime TV series Dexter, starring Michael C. Hall as the eponymous character, taught us about media violence? EPA/Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Vale Dexter, the serial killer who changed the face of TV violence

On September 23, Showtime audiences will bid adieu to television’s unlikeliest hero. Since 2007, they’ve really warmed to Dexter. The show’s eponymous anti-hero is a congenial blood-spatter analyst who…
The just-released Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most hotly anticipated videogames of all time. But how does it inform the debate around videogame violence? Antonio Rubio

Grand Theft Auto V: why we’d kill to get it

The blockbuster videogame launch of Grand Theft Auto V was met with a fanfare of confusing messages. Gamers were promised the familiar diet of salacious content: players are free, so we are told, to drive…
Research suggests violent videogames such as Hitman don’t make people antisocial, so is it time to change the debate? Michael Heilemann

When videogame violence has no effect, should we worry?

Earlier this week on The Conversation, Morgan Tear wrote a terrific article calling into question the supposed negative effect of videogame violence on players’ behaviour. And I would argue we could use…
The Rolling Stone cover image of alleged Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has drawn comparisons to rock musician Jim Morrison. But is this glamourising Tsarnaev? Rolling Stone

Why is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of Rolling Stone?

Popular culture magazine Rolling Stone has released the cover of its August 1 print edition on the internet. Most of the headlines promise the familiar mix of pop culture and news: a review of Jay-Z’s…
Uncensored pictures of the Woolwich murder were quickly beamed around the world - what does research say about the use of violent imagery in mass media? EPA/Facundo Arrizabalaga

A global abomination: Woolwich and the politics of violent images

Even in a city with London’s savage history, the Woolwich murder is especially distressing. A man has been horrifically and wilfully murdered in public. Footage of this appalling crime has spread through…
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, we need to more concerned than ever about the effects of violent videogames. JBLivin/Flickr

Violent videogames should worry us (but shouldn’t be banned)

The Connecticut town of Southington last week introduced a videogames return program, offering a $25 gift card to parents who wanted to rid their households of violent titles. The program comes in the…
There was twice as much violence in the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace than there was in 1962’s Dr No, the study found. AP Image/Tracey Nearmy

Study finds Bond film violence has doubled

A study of 22 James Bond films has found that the amount of violence depicted has doubled since the original Bond movie was released in 1962. The study’s authors have said the finding raises concerns but…
The videogame classification scheme was revised to better protect minors from inappropriate content. Ian Muttoo

R18+ rating added for videogames … but are children protected?

New guidelines for the classification of videogames have been released by Federal Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare and, despite being a step in the right direction, the revisions are largely disappointing…
James Holmes was a crazed loner, but the people in the cinema at Aurora have stronger stories about blockbuster movies. EPA/RJ Sangosti/ Pool

The Aurora shootings: blockbuster movies can bring out our best

The immediate information emerging in the aftermath of James Holmes’ murder rampage in Aurora, Colorado, makes a good case for the idea that media violence begets the real thing. A closer look, however…

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