NCJ Number
150879
Date Published
1994
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The violence content of the evening newscasts in Sweden is analyzed.
Abstract
This paper briefly describes a quantitative-qualitative content analysis of news items that contain acts of violence and/or their consequences in Swedish television newscasts during 6-week periods in 1979 and 1993. The material analyzed is confined to the principal evening programs of news and news commentary offered by the respective public service and private channels seven days a week. The study addresses the questions as to whether the amount of news material containing acts of violence and/or their consequences offered on the public service channel changed between 1979 and 1993; whether the news items containing depictions of violence changed with respect to form and/or content; and in what respects the newscasts of the public service and the private channel differ in terms of depiction of violence. The author notes that deregulation of the television industry in Europe has sharpened public service/private channel competition. Findings indicate greater violence in television newscasts in 1993, both in terms of extent and degree. Factors cited by the authors as affecting this increase include technological advances resulting in a dramatic increase in the availability of news pictures since 1979, the deregulation of television increasing competition, and the changing ideas as to the proper functions of journalism. 54 references, 7 tables, 1 figure