7/3/24- Regulation and Audience

 Key theory 13- Regulation- Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt. 

• Increasing power of global media corporations, together with the rise of convergent media technologies and transformations in the production, distribution and marketing of digital media, have placed traditional approaches to media regulation at risk.   

The regulation of video games in the UK is ineffective by design in order to minimise risk and maximise profit

Types of regulation

• Consumer based content regulation- 'Pan European Game Information' (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions (sometimes parents making the decision for their children) when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors.   
• Self regulation- For example a 'code of conduct' followed by digital distribution serviced, such as YouTube. 

The effective regulation of media products is largely impossible due to digitally convergent technologies. 

Key Theory 15- Albert Bandura- Media effects. 

The Bobo Doll Experiment- 

Issues with Bandura's effects model- 

Conclusion of the experiment: that media has a direct effect on audiences.

The experiment was carried out on children who are fundamentally different, immature, still developing and vulnerable.

A big bouncy floppy doll is not the same as a human, and there for results cannot be evenly applied. 

Children are potentially unable to differentiate between media and real life, which means ultimately the result must be questioned. 

The video is wholly instructional, and does not resemble other forms of media. 

The theory and the experiment are vital in proving that certain people MUST be protected by regulations, including the very young and the vulnerable, for example people with mental health issues.    

Other theories that can link to this: 

• The reception theory- argues that there are many multiple responses to different media products and audiences can negotiate different responses. 
• Cultivation theory- argues that prolonged  exposure to media can gradually shape our ideologies and can eventually desensitise audiences.  

Moral panics-  A mass movement based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behaviour or group of people is dangerously deviant and poses a threat to societies values and interests. Moral panics are generally fuelled by media coverage of social issues. 

Doom 1993- 

 

Games at this time were family friendly and made for children, like Sonic, so to have a violent game it was a shock to the audience. 

Additionally, the game is 3D and at the time it was quite realistic and graphic with the blood splatters. 

The sound effects also add to the realistic features of the game. 

Assassins Creed Mirage walkthrough- Examples of violence

-Climbing to tops of buildings

-Slitting peoples throat 

-Sneaking up on people

-Stabbing people 

-Throwing people off buildings 

Audience responses to violence: how does Assassins Creed Mirage cultivate a positive representation of violence?

• The verb 'assassinate' frequently appears as a contextual action, as opposed to hugging, kissing or simply talking.
• The sheer number of people killed in just a few minuets, at least 2 a min.
• Climbing walls and jumping of buildings is alarming behaviour, and may encourage imitable behaviour.  
• The protagonist is an assassin: a paid murderer. He is represented as the 'good guy' and the passive guards are 'bad' This reinforces the ideology that violence is good and appropriate.
• Violence is presented in a stylish manner, with attractive movements, and stylish bursts of blood. 
• Killing is made easy through being presented as a single button press, and there is no representation of the after math and the trauma that comes from killing. 

Dominant ideology: that violence is acceptable as long as it is justified through certain situations.