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November 6, 2003
get in the game.
Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to have a guest speaker in our Practices of Journalism class. Although I'm not quite sure of Dr. Jerz' devices of securing a Norwegian professor from a college of journalism, I don't frankly care because I was happy to have Torill Mortensen visit our class. And even though I'm not positive of her reasons for visiting our class, I don't mind that either because it was a delight to have a new topic, and on top of that--an expert on the new topic.
Having studied video games and other topics in the journalistic world, I was enlightened with Mortensen's topic of Media Panics. She began with a brief history of a few "panics" that have taken place in her native country, Norway. In the '60s there was TV, the '70s color TV, the '80s the VCR (and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre). The panic about these technological advances was that the intellectually challenged would not be able to recognize true reality. This is the same sort of "media panic" created around video games today.
In a search for an article about video game violence, I found this article. I had no idea that such things really existed. I mean, it would be naive to think that they didn't but bible video games?! I had no idea. That's the epitome of going against the supposed violence that video games instill... which they don't.
Or at least according to Mortensen they don't. Even though she's been quoted as having said that they do, it's because the "idiotic journalists" (she said that with a smirk, because she's teaching journalists-to-be :) are backing her into a corner and taking what they want from the interview. It's really a great example of how biased things can get when you let your own beliefs get in the way as a journalist. Honestly, if you're in something for yourself, it should NOT be journalism.
Because the media is looked at as sort of a care-taker in Norway, that's one of the reasons that there is media panic about VCRs and their affect on people's perception of reality. Fascinating. There is concern for the fact that the market of video games is predominantly American influenced as well. I never thought of that... It IS possible that video games promote violence to those that already don't have another way of dealing with their problems before encountering violent games; however, if the gamer isn't violent to begin with, chances are, according to Mortensen, that the gamer isn't going to be violent just because he/she played a game.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at November 6, 2003 7:15 PM
Comments
Great post, Karissa. You beat me to it by about six hours!
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 7, 2003 12:33 AM
:) I'm glad you posted about this presentation because I didn't get everything she said in my notes. Thanks :) I blogged about her speaking to the EL230 class. That link you found about the biblical video games is crazy. I can't imagine...
Posted by: Jess P at November 7, 2003 1:19 AM
Thank you :) I enjoyed putting up this post because I had some first hand experience with the subject. My brothers are both obsessed with PS2. They mostly play the sports games, but since they're growing up a bit, ages 16 and 12, they're getting into some of the action games. Concerned parents aren't the easiest of forces to reckon with, let me tell you. :^)
Posted by: Karissa at November 8, 2003 11:14 AM
Off topic: Please check your Seton Hill email! I sent something there that's happy for you. ;)
Posted by: Julie at November 9, 2003 11:12 PM
HOT DOG!!!
Julie, I think you just made my day :-D
*squeal of joy!*
Posted by: KarissaKilgore at November 10, 2003 1:15 PM