Audience Theory

What do you think the following terms mean in relation to audiences...?

Passive Active
The people that hear about it, they The people who are actively playing
observe or watch the product or involved with the product.
Tutor Definition
Passive Active

What are the flaws with the hypodermic needle theory?

We all like to think that we’re independent and make our own decisions
about things. However most of us listen to opinion leaders concerning our
thoughts about media products.

Make a list of people whose opinion you trust to inform you of how you
should respond to or think of a text.
-Jim Sterling

Read the articles on the following pages and consider how the hypodermic
needle, opinion leader and two step flow theory have affected events. Once
you’ve read through the article write up your thoughts in the provided
box.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3934277.stm

29/06/04

Game blamed for hammer murder

The parents of a boy who
was murdered with a claw
hammer by a friend have
blamed a violent video
game which the teenage
killer was "obsessed" with.

Warren Leblanc, 17,

repeatedly stabbed 14-year-
old Stefan Pakeerah after Stefan was repeatedly battered and stabbed by his
luring him to a Leicester park older friend
to steal from him on 27 February.

He pleaded guilty to murder at Leicester Crown Court on

Wednesday.

Stefan's mother described Leblanc, who confessed to police

moments after the assault, as "inherently evil".

Video game 'obsession'

Stefan's mother, Giselle, a research nurse, had to leave court

when the evidence in the case became too harrowing.

Following the hearing she said her son's killer had mimicked
a game called Manhunt, developed by Edinburgh-based
Rockstar North, in which the players score points for violent
killings.
Manhunt was banned six
months ago in New Zealand
by censorship officials.

Mrs Pakeerah said: "I heard

some of Warren's friends say
that he was obsessed by this
game.

"To quote from the website

that promotes it, it calls it a
psychological experience, not
a game, and it encourages Leblanc armed himself with a claw hammer and a
knife
brutal killing.

"If he was obsessed by it, it could well be that the boundaries

for him became quite hazy."

Mrs Pakeerah, 36, called for violent video games to be

banned.

Covered in blood

She said: "I can't believe that this sort of material is allowed
in a society where anarchy is not that far removed.

"It should not be available and it should not be available to

young people."

Leblanc, of Braunstone Frith,

Leicester, persuaded his
victim to go to nearby Stoke
Woods Park, known locally as
The Dumps - to meet two
girls.

The court heard how he

armed himself with a knife
and claw hammer to carry out I don't play these games but if they
the attack. are influencing kids to go out and kill
people then you don't want them on the
shelves
He confessed to the killing
moments later when he was
Patrick Pakeerah, victim's father
found covered in blood by two
police officers.

Outside court Stefan's father, Patrick, said: "They were

playing a game called Manhunt.

"The way Warren committed the murder is how the game is

set out - killing people using weapons like hammers and
knives.
"There is some connection between the game and what he
has done."

Game ban

Echoing his former partner, the civil servant said: "I don't
play these games but if they are influencing kids to go out
and kill people then you don't want them on the shelves."

When police discovered Stefan, they found he had sustained

horrific and fatal injuries.

The boy had been hit so hard

with the hammer he had
suffered deep cuts to his head
and neck. His head had been
fractured in several places.

He had multiple stab wounds,

with the knife being plunged
so deep that it had caused
serious injuries to his kidney Giselle Pakeerah has called for a ban on violent
and liver. video games

A spokesman for the Entertainment and Leisure Software

Publishers' Association said: "We sympathise enormously
with the family and parents of Stefan Pakeerah.

"However, we reject any suggestion or association between

the tragic events and the sale of the video game Manhunt.

"The game in question is classified 18 by the British Board of

Film Classification and therefore should not be in the
possession of a juvenile.

"Simply being in someone's possession does not and should

not lead to the conclusion that a game is responsible for
these tragic events."

Judge Michael Stokes QC said Leblanc had carried out "a

brutal, cold-blooded murder" and could expect a life
sentence.

Sentencing was adjourned for reports.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3538066.stm
05/08/2004

Police reject game link to murder

Detectives investigating the murder of a

14-year-old boy in a Leicester park have
rejected any link with a violent computer
game.

Stefan Pakeerah was beaten and stabbed to

death by Warren Leblanc, 17, but the motive,
say police, was robbery.

Leicestershire police have confirmed a copy of the game was found, but in
Stefan's' bedroom and not with Leblanc.

Stefan's parents blamed the game, which was withdrawn by some high
street retailers, following the court case.

A Leicestershire constabulary spokesperson Leblanc is responsible

said: "Police investigations did not uncover any for what Leblanc did and
connections to the computer game. what he did was horrible

"The motive for the incident was robbery." Giselle Pakeerah

They added: "We can confirm the game was not found in Warren
Leblanc's room, it was found in Stefan Pakeerah's room."

In the wake of Leblanc's guilty plea, several stores withdrew Manhunt

from sale.

But sales at HMV, which has continued to sell the game, have reportedly
risen.
Violent films

Stefan's mother, Giselle, who called for violent computer games to be

banned, claimed her son only had the game because it had been lent to
him by Leblanc.

"Warren Leblanc gave Stefan the game just two days before he killed
him," she said.

"Leblanc is responsible for what Leblanc did and what he did was
horrible."

Mrs Pakeerah added: "He liked violent films and games and particularly
liked Manhunt.

"There are obvious similarities between the game and how Stefan died."

'Misleading reporting'

For its part, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers'

Association (Elspa), the industry body for the video game industry, has
written to Home Secretary David Blunkett about the media coverage of
the case.

"We have been very concerned recently about the misleading and
disingenuous reporting about the effects of playing interactive games
software," said Elspa.

"As you will know, despite many research projects into the effects of
screen violence, some of which have been undertaken by eminent
academics in their field, no link with violent behaviour has been found."
Elspa said its members took their responsibilities extremely seriously and
that they conformed with both the letter and spirit of the law and the
strict Codes of Practice

My opinion is that these articles were written with a purpose of using the hypodermic needle
theory to persuade passive audiences into the mind-set that video games promote violence.
They do this by keeping the focus on the brutal style of the murder and amplify how bad it was.
Before then bringing up the video game that they clearly have no information about. We can tell
this by how they give no attention to any of the game itself. They only say it promotes murder
and violence in the gameplay.

With this little displayed information on the game and the emphases on the murder of the
teenage boy they show their passive audience a link between video games and major violence.
Even though in reality there was most likely a small link between the way the murder was
carried out and the gameplay.

The parents are also to blame. Although they have had a tragic loss they tried to shift the blame
onto something outside of themselves. This happened to be the video game that their son
owned. This is part of the grieving process and is entirely natural. However it is in reality the
parent’s faults in some ways.

What are the four divisions of the Uses and Gratification Theory?

1. Entertainment and diversions

2. Information and educations

3. Social interaction

4. Personal identity
Make a list of different interactive products you consume that you can
apply Uses and Gratification divisions to. You may find you can apply more

- Online Multiplayer

-Movies

-Newspapers

-paper soccer

-youtube videos

-Online personas or online fame such as people like Jimk Sterling

than one.
What factors of a viewer’s identity may influence how they respond to a
text in regards to reception theory?
Considering the factors you have written above, think what type of response
different groups would have to these products…

-Enviroment

-Education

-Up bringing

-News outlets

-Online sources

-Youtube

-Blogs

-Social media

-Online news

-Morals

Film Preferred Oppositional Negotiated

GTA V Gamers Parents Public faces and
news outlets
Super Mario Everyone Feminism, due to Xbox fan boy’s
Odyssey the women in the
weaker position
and needing to
be saved by a
man.
Pokemon Gamers, most PETA and animal news
parents rights activists
COD: WW2 Gamers Some parents. Most parents
News outlets for
it being too
Burnout Gamers Some parents Driving safety
Paradise: companies that
Remastered may believe it
Edition encourages
reckless
driving.