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Fox News Brings Video Game Violence Debate To a New Low
Fox News took another shot at the video game violence debate earlier this week when they asked whether Bulletstorm, an upcoming M-rated shooter from Epic Games, is the worst game in the world. The article links violent games with an increase in rapes, and suggests there should be greater penalties for selling to minors. Gaming website Rock, Paper, Shotgun breaks down the problems with the article's sensationalist claims and highlights the disingenuous cherry-picking of quotes.
"Scott Steinberg, CEO of TechSavvy Global, and all-round industry guru, got in touch with me to show me the answers he submitted to Fox when they approached him for comment. The full answers are reproduced below, because what results is a fantastic interview on the subject of adult game content and regulation. Fox chose to use none of Steinberg’s comments in their final piece, opting instead for the more sensational claims of those with no expertise in the subject (neither of whom have found time to reply to our emails). But seeing these answers also provides further insight into how the mainstream media coverage of gaming stories works. Far from being a reporter ignorant of the subject and twisted by naive contributors, Fox correspondent John Brandon was equipped with a wealth of factual information and informed opinion before composing his frantic article."
Sounds great, where can I buy it.
Hint: There's no such things as bad publicity for computer games.
The FBI's stats actually show rape is down yet people dont take the time to verify things anymore. News reporters are meant to verify and inform not spread idle gossip and misinformation.
Remember that News Corporation owns 92% of the Planet Network / GameSpy, so if you're playing on a Playstation, Wii, PSP, DS or PC there's a fair chance you're still supporting his bottom line.
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Also, Fox News causes rape.
So if this is the future...where's my jet pack?
"It is about collecting a very large range of facts and opinions, selecting between them and constructing those chosen into a narrative for a particular purpose.Because there is selection and construction involved, different individuals will necessarily disagree on the result."
Wow, when you put it like that cutting out everything you don't agree with and lying though your teeth to create a misleading story sounds almost reasonable.
While that's certainly "doing journalism" it doesn't mean it's good journalism or immune from criticism. If I bake a cake out of shit, sure, I'm cooking something, but it's still a cake made out of shit.
As you say, the research is ambiguous. That's not what the article says. The article says that, according to the research, video games make you rape people.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
To be fair, Beck might not have raped and killed a girl in 1990. But the fact remains that many Americans are asking the question: "Did he rape and kill a girl in 1990?"
Journalism is ... about ... putting ... very large ... individuals ... on ... Fox
Or at least ... the ... "sensationalist" or "disingenuous" or "frantic" ... "and all-round" ... "fantastic", ... and ... Using pejorative language to remove someone's credibility without actually engaging with them in debate.
IMHO, I agree with what you said RE: what passes as "journalism" today.
People ... opposing ... [r]esearch carried out ... biased name-calling.
I think the real question here is:
If Glen Beck didn't rape and kill that girl in 1990, why won't he just come out and deny it?
What is he hiding?
-- Sig under construction...
At least the Weekly World News never took itself seriously and never expected anyone to believe that Bat Boy was real.
After this amount of time it shouldn't surprise anyone that Fox News can't be arsed to come out with anything resembling news or information. Facts and accuracy be damned. Death panels? Sure. Obama is going to sneak into your house in the dead of night and smother your grandmother *personally.* Similarly, playing this game will turn your kids into serial killers. Never mind the research. What counts is eyeballs and page hits.
If Fox News said that the Sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning, I would have to check the astronomical tables to confirm.
Fox News is a fraud.
Anyone who still watches Fox is confirmed for stupid. I don't care if your IQ is 200. You still watch Fox? You take anything they say seriously? Then I have nothing to discuss with you. Ever.
Fox News wants you to believe in them. Fox News wants you to believe in Bat Boy.
--
BMO
âoeThe increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,â she said.
Emphasis mine. See? They never said rape has actually gone up,
STOP RIGHT THERE. "The increase in rapes" is what makes their statement actually say that rape has gone up. Simple English, yo. They are discussing a supposed increase in rape, therefore they have directly implied (this is a case of implication, NOT inference) that rapes have increased.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
because they were made in a lab. Don't get me wrong, back here in Britain we've got our own fair share of idiots, but what happened with Glen Beck and Sarah Palin et all is that there was an accident involving a military scientific experiment in asshole warfare where a couple of hybrid super-assholes escaped and then due to administrative error, they got put on TV. Why they haven't told us about the countermeasures, I simply do not know.
I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
If you can't see fox is the worst offender after watching 10 minutes of it, then I question your objectiveness.
Certainly other networks put spins on things, but fox is in their own league in the level and obviousness of it.
So the mouthpiece of the party that opposes gun control and governmental regulation in general is advocating stricter imaginary-gun control?
The post also claims Fox is mainstream media. I don't believe that to be true at all. They may have a following, but mostly, they're redneck, science-denyin', anti-queer, don't-tax-me, Nazi-claimin' bags of big wind.
And now, I'll watch as my /. karma twitches.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
I gotta give you thumbs up, for thinking, but thumbs down for missing a couple important details. Julian Assange is not charged with rape, but rather some kind of sexual "misconduct". Only the American media has managed to exaggerate Julian's case into some kind of rape case.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br