Channeling Violence

"If it bleeds, it leads." The phrase captures television news directors' famed preference for opening newscasts with the most violent stories they can find. And what is true for news is often true for entertainment programming, where violence is used as a product to attract both viewers and sponsors. In this book, James Hamilton presents the first major theoretical and empirical examination of the market for television violence. Hamilton approaches television violence in the same way that other economists approach the problem of pollution: that is, as an example of market failure. He argues that television violence, like pollution, generates negative externalities, defined as costs borne by others than those involved in the production activity. Broadcasters seeking to attract viewers may not fully bear the costs to society of their violent programming, if those costs include such factors as increased levels of aggression and crime in society. Hamilton goes on to say that the comparison to pollution remains relevant when considering how to deal with the problem. Approaches devised to control violent programming, such as restricting it to certain times and rating programs according to the violence they contain, have parallels in zoning and education policies designed to protect the environment. Hamilton examines in detail the microstructure of incentives that operate at every level of television broadcasting, from programming and advertising to viewer behavior, so that remedies can be devised to reduce violent programming without restricting broadcasters' right to compete.

Discusses why and how we should rate the content of television programs for violence

The reality of violence and the fear it generates is constantly in the news. Terrorist attacks across the world and other abuses of power, such as the sexual abuses in the Catholic Church, the continuance of patriarchalism, racism and the negative effects of globalization highlight the relevance of this book. Here the author uniquely explains these forms of violence in the wider context of their cultural roots.

Religion, although in its simplest form a belief or belief in an external force outside of man, is believed to have existed since the existence of man himself. There is a connection in the existence of religion on the one hand with the existence of human culture and civilization on the other. That is, since the beginning of religion or belief included in human life and—the rules—human life already existed in religion. It is very difficult to talk about the relationship between religion and violence. It is difficult in the sense of finding common ground agreed upon by some parties who disagree on this. Phenomenological studies that have been very hard show the relationship between the two is not spared from the reduction process that is criticized by many parties. Instead of seeing that violence is linked to many socio-economic-cultural contexts, phenomenological studies immediately ultimately see religion—its meaning, articulation and implementation—as the main factors that trigger violence. The Scapegoat Theory is one of them. René Girard goes so far as to say that not only does violence seem real and violent because of religion, but even rituals in religion do not escape violence, in this case it is a rite of sacrifice. Therefore, it is not surprising that then what happens to modern society due to the looseness of religious values that are in fact made to reduce and channel this violent desire. His excesses then because violence is not channeled through the realm of neutralization, he then appears in the social realm in the form of acts of violence that are no longer sacred, even considered evil. This book will explore Girard's interpretation of the sacrificial rite, as well as outline how Islam views Qurbani worship. With this we hope that there will be a balance of information about the worship of Sacrifice itself.

This definitive examination of this important social topic asks questions such as: How much media violence is there? What are the meanings conveyed in the way violence is portrayed? What effect does it have on viewers?Divided into four parts, the book covers: a review of research on media violence; re-conceptions of exisiting theories of media violence; addresses the need to rethink the methodological tools used to assess media violence; and introduces the concept of Lineation Theory, a perspective for thinking about media violence and a new theoretical approach explaining it.

Advertising and Violence identifies and analyzes the important issues related to violence in advertising and its overall effects on society. The book is based on a widely cited special issue of the Journal of Advertising and includes eight new chapters that expand the book's coverage.

Examines the interplay between the aesthetics and the censorship of violence in classic Hollywood films from 1930 to 1968, the era of the Production Code, when filmmakers were required to have their scripts approved before they could start production. A stylistic history of American screen violence that is grounded in industry documentation. [back cover].

How much are today's youth actually influenced by violence in the media? People who would never dispute the positive influence of programs like Sesame Street are reluctant to acknowledge that other programming may do harm. As early as the 1930s, however, parents were expressing concerns about the content of various media, including radio and comic books. Today, almost every violent crime perpetrated by a young person is probed for evidence of media influence, often while other contributing factors are ignored. With an in-depth look at media violence and its possible influence on young viewers, this book examines how the "media made me do it" defense has affected today's courtrooms. Highly publicized cases such as those of Lionel Tate and Joshua Cooke, both of whom used media influence (television wrestling and The Matrix, respectively) as part of their defense, are discussed in detail. Other topics include the creation and maintenance of rating systems, parental involvement and ultimate responsibility.