Media violence and the American public: Scientific facts versus media misinformation.

Abstract

Exposure to media violence to aggression? How have news reports of the violent-media effect on aggression changed over time? Is there any correspondence between the cumu- lative scientific knowledge about media violence effects on aggression and news reports about this link? The answers to these questions differ depending on whom is asked. In this article, we consider answers from two sources: the entertainment industry and the scientific community. We also discuss why the entertainment industry and the scien- tific community often disagree in their assessment of the effect of violent media on aggression. THE MASS MEDIA EXPLOSION