Media Violence in the News

Abstract

How do researchers talk to the media about the media? How is research about the media portrayed by those responsible for reporting objective findings? This article summarizes the efforts of the American Psychological Association's Public Policy Office on violence in the media in the late 1990s. By looking at the range of dynamics at play (school shootings blamed on popular music, rapidly evolving technology, a Presidential Campaign), this article explores the complexity of accurately representing psychological research in a medium where the findings could impact profits.