News Media’s Framing of Violent Video Games Following President Trump’s 2019 Mass Shooting Comments

 

Liam Callahan

Media Analytics, Elon University

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in an undergraduate senior capstone course in communications

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, there have been concerns that the use of violent entertainment could result in mass shootings. Previous research has delved into the different ways that video entertainment could affect our minds, such as causing increased aggression and desensitization. Other research has focused on how news media frames violent entertainment and its possible connection to mass shootings. This study looks to further that research by looking at various news organizations’ framing of how video games potentially could cause mass shootings. The study uses articles written following President Trump’s 2019 comments following the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. The findings from this study showcase that news media overwhelmingly dismisses the idea that violent entertainment causes mass shootings to occur.

Keywords: media framing, video games, mass shootings, violent entertainment, Donald Trump
Email: lcallahan@elon.edu

1. Introduction

In 1999, the first major court case against video games was filed on behalf of the parents of three children killed in the Heath High School shooting in Kentucky after investigations showed that the killer had regularly played violent video games. The lawsuit alleged that the video games caused the killer to be desensitized and blamed the producers of the games for not being diligent enough in preventing the distribution of their games to minors. The lawsuit ultimately failed but would soon become just one in many cases filed against video game companies in the coming years (Winkie, 2022).

This topic became a massively contested issue as popularity and access to video games grew (Wallach, 2020). The role that video games potentially play in mass shootings became especially relevant in cases such as school shootings, where it would be used to explain the violent nature of the typically young offenders. With more than three hundred school shootings in the United States following the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999 (Olayinka, 2022), the conversation around the role that violent video games may or may not play in mass shootings remained a hot-button issue. In recent years, the topic was once again brought to the forefront following comments made by then-President Donald Trump, who blamed violent video games following the El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, shootings in summer 2019. This research aims to examine the framing of the issue within news media articles written about Trump’s statements on video games and school shootings.

II. Literature Review

This literature review focuses on three primary areas of scholarship. First, whether violent video games truly cause individuals to become desensitized to violence. Second, whether violent video games cause people to develop violent tendencies of their own. Third, the literature review examines previous research on news media framing.

A multitude of studies have examined whether video games desensitize players to real-life violence, but there has yet to be any conclusive answer to the question. Take for instance a 2006 study that found playing a violent video game for a minimum of just 20 minutes can cause players to become less physiologically affected by viewing real violence. Participants in the test who played a violent video game were found to have relatively lowered heart rates and galvanic skin responses (Carnagey, 2006). However, this lowered reaction to real-life violence is seemingly only a short-term effect. Gao (2017) found that when undergraduate students in China saw a series of pictures displaying some act of harm against a human, then were asked to describe the feelings of the person being harmed, there was no significant difference in empathy between those who played violent video games and those who played non-violent video games. Similarly, (Szycik, 2016) found that when participants were shown emotionally stimulating positive, negative, and neutral pictures, there was no significant difference in brain activity between those who played violent video games and those who did not.

The second issue is whether violent video games cause individuals to develop violent tendencies. One analysis of two dozen studies found that while children who played violent video games became more aggressive, the changes in behavior accounted for less than one percent of the variation in aggressive behavior among U.S. teens and pre-teens (Moyer, 2018). These findings align with a different literature review conducted by the American Psychological Association, which found that while violent video games are a risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, they are unlikely to cause mass shootings on their own (APA, 2019). In both the cases of aggression and desensitization, the findings of studies are still widely contested, but there remains the question of how news media frames this issue.

Framing theory is defined as “the study of how rhetorical devices can be used to convince people of the value of any given position. Frames select certain aspects of a perceived reality to make them more noticeable, often simplifying the message to mobilize people and garner support (and importantly, demobilizing antagonists)” (Amis, 2022, para. 1). For example, (Silva, 2020) found that the most common frame used by news media when covering mass shootings was “gun access,” while violent entertainment was the least common. But Silva’s study did note that there was a 73% increase in news media using the violent entertainment frame over a five-year span.

III. Methods

This study aims to discover how news articles framed the role of video games in mass shootings following former President Donald Trump’s comments following the El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, shootings in summer 2019. At a press conference in the White House, Trump stated that:

We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this, and it has to begin immediately (Timm, 2019, para. 2).

This study sampled articles from the top 20 English-language news media websites in the United States by monthly visits (Watson, 2023). Of the 20, two websites (Google News and MSN.com) were eliminated as they publish content from other news media websites rather than produce their own articles.

First, each individual news website’s name, followed by the phrase “Trump video games 2019,” was searched on Google. Then, only results from the first page of the Google search were examined. Articles that didn’t specifically mention Trump’s comments or weren’t written in 2019 were removed. In total, 55 articles were selected for this study. Nearly half of the articles came from three publications – 12 from The Washington Post, nine from CNN, and six from USA Today. No other publication had more than four articles in the sample. Searches for The New York Post, The Sun, and The Wall Street Journal returned no relevant articles.

From there, the selected articles’ titles and the content of the articles themselves were put into three different categories: articles/titles that refute the claim that video games cause violence, articles/titles that are neutral on the issue, and articles/titles that back up the claim. The “refute” and “support” categories were further broken down into articles/titles that were opinion pieces, or articles/titles that were more straightforward news stories. Also, the study noted articles that mentioned or linked to research studies on the subject. Additionally, a qualitative content analysis was used. This was done through the adoption of a thematic analysis which can be described as “reading through a data set and identifying patterns in meaning” (Delve, 2020, para. 1).

IV. Findings

Among titles in the sample, nearly two-thirds were neutral, neither refuting nor supporting the idea that video games cause mass shootings (Table 1). Titles that refuted the video game connection through a news context were the second-most common in the sample (21.8%). In contrast, more than 40 percent of articles themselves used a news context to refute Trump’s claim that video games caused real-life violence (Table 2). Neutral articles that didn’t take a side were the second most prevalent at 30.9%. One opinion article supported the video game connection to mass shootings, but it was only a small piece of the article, whereas the remainder pointed out aspects of Trump’s presidency that could have also led to the shootings.

Table 1: If the article’s title refutes, supports, or is neutral on games causing violence

Refute (News) Refute (Opinion) Neutral (No Side) Neutral (Both) Support (News) Support (Opinion)
Total 12 (21.8%) 6 (10.9%) 35 (63.6%) 2 (3.6%) 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%)

Table 2: If the article refutes, supports, or is neutral on games causing violence

Refute (News) Refute (Opinion) Neutral (No Side) Neutral (Both) Support (News) Support (Opinion)
Total 24 (43.6%) 11 (20.0%) 17 (30.9%) 2 (3.6%) 0 (0.0%) 1 (1.8%)

Table 3 shows that 60% of the 55 articles included reference to research on the topic of video games potentially causing mass shootings. The category that mentioned or linked to research the most was the “refute” category, specifically when it did not showcase the writer’s opinion. Opinion pieces that refuted the idea of video games cause mass shootings were the second-most common type of article to include research as well. Articles that presented the Trump’s words without taking any side was the most likely category to not include any mention of research on the topic.

Table 3: Articles that mention or link to research

Type Mention Don’t Mention
Refute (News) 19 5
Refute (Opinion) 11 0
Neutral (No Side) 1 16
Neutral (Both) 2 0
Support (News) 0 0
Support (Opinion) 0 1
Total 33 (60%) 22 (40%)

Themes present in the articles

For articles within the “refute” category, there were three typical objections brought forth to combat the idea that video games caused real-world violence. The first was that video games are played everywhere around the world and no other country has the same gun problem as the United States. This was typically used in articles that didn’t mention any research, but it was also brought up in a handful of articles that did.

A second recurring theme was that no study has been able to link video games to actual violence. Most of the time this was mentioned alongside research that found no correlation between violence and video games. The third theme was the use of studies that showcase that in areas where people play more video games, there is less crime, but this was only used in a minority of the articles. As for the tone, in opinion pieces that refuted the claim, the tone was usually mocking when discussing the issue often framing it as archaic or ridiculous fearmongering. In comparison, the “news” articles that refuted the claim were more likely to not mock the idea and instead allow the quotes and research present in the article to speak for themselves.

V. Discussion and Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that the primary news sources in the United States generally reported that video games did not cause real-world violence, a frame that was expressed in nearly two-thirds of articles. Among articles that included reference to research, more than 90 percent refuted the idea of video games causing mass shootings. Articles that took a neutral position on the issue generally presented Trump’s words without any commentary. Interestingly, more than two-thirds of titles were neutral, while nearly two-thirds of the articles refuted Trump’s claims about video games and shootings. Of the 55 articles sampled, only one opinion piece supported Trump’s claim, and the article did not mention any research.

These findings align with previous research which found that violent entertainment was the least common frame used by the news media to explain mass shootings (Silva, 2020). This framing is important to note in light of public opinion, which has shifted to the majority of people not believing there is any correlation between video game violence and violent behavior (Duggan, 2015). Articles that took a more neutral approach did so by just presenting President Trump’s words rather than presenting both sides of the argument around video games potentially causing real-world violence.

A possible limitation of this study is that news articles may be more likely to refute a figure such as President Trump rather than a family of a mass shooting victim making the same claims about video games and violence. Additional research could examine the comments section present in the various articles. This would allow research into how the audience feels on the issue in a general sense, but also if there were any differences in responses when comparing the comments in articles that refute, support, or are neutral on the issue. However, some news websites did remove the ability to comment entirely. An alternative would be to examine whether the news source posted the article on social media and view audience response on that platform.

Acknowledgements

My completion of this research would not have been possible without the guidance, support, and expertise of Laura Lacy. I cannot express enough gratitude for encouraging me to try to get this into the Elon Journal and helping me along the way.

References

Amis, J. (2022, January 7). Media framing and how it can shift the narrative. University of Edinburgh Business School. Retrieved from https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/about/news/media-framing-and-how-it-shifts-the-narrative.

American Psychological Association. (2019). APA task force report on violent video games. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/bsa/report-violent-video-games.pdf.

Anderson, M. (2019, August 6). No, there’s still no link between video games and violence. AP News. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-games-tx-state-wire-shootings-45309e99d09e438a8b5f329f73ac7850.

Azad, A. (2019, August 5). Video games unlikely to cause real-world violence, experts say. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/05/health/video-games-violence-explainer/index.html.

Bella, T. (2019, August 5). Politicians suggest video games are to blame for the El Paso shooting. It’s an old claim that’s not backed by research. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/05/kevin-mccarthy-dan-patrick-video-games-el-paso-shooting/.

Carnagey, N. L., Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2007). The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43(3), 489–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2006.05.003.

Delve, Ho, L., & Limpaecher, A. (2020, August 31). How to do thematic analysis. Essential guide to coding qualitative data. Retrieved from https://delvetool.com/blog/thematicanalysis.

Draper, K. (2019, August 5). Video games aren’t why shootings happen. Politicians still blame them. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/sports/trump-violent-video-games-studies.html.

Duggan, M. (2015, December 15). Gaming and gamers. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/12/15/gaming-and-gamers/.

Ferguson, C. J. (2015). Clinicians’ attitudes toward video games vary as a function of age, gender and negative beliefs about youth: A sociology of media research approach. Computers in Human Behavior, 52, 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.016.

Ferguson, C. J., & Colwell, J. (2017). Understanding why scholars hold different views on the influences of video games on public health. Journal of Communication, 67(3), 305–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12293.

Gao, X., Pan, W., Li, C., Weng, L., Yao, M., & Chen, A. (2017). Long-time exposure to violent video games does not show desensitization on empathy for pain: An fMRI study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00650.

Kutner, L. A., Olson, C. K., Warner, D. E., & Hertzog, S. M. (2008). Parents’ and sons’ perspectives on video game play. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 76–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558407310721.

Moyer, M. W. (2018, October 2). Do violent video games trigger aggression? Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-violent-video-games-trigger-aggression/.

Silva, J. R. (2020). The news media’s framing of mass shootings: Gun access, mental illness, violent entertainment, and terrorism. Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society, 21(2), 76–98. https://doi.org/10.21202/1993-047x.15.2021.2.332-359.

Szycik, G. R., Mohammadi, B., Hake, M., Kneer, J., Samii, A., Münte, T. F., & te Wildt, B. T. (2016). Excessive users of violent video games do not show emotional desensitization: An fMRI study. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 11(3), 736–743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-016-9549-y.

Olayinka, S. (2022, July 6). Data: How many mass school shootings have taken place in U.S. since 1999? Retrieved from https://www.icirnigeria.org/data-how-many-mass-school-shootings-have-taken-place-in-u-s-since-1999/.

Olson, C. K., Kutner, L. A., & Warner, D. E. (2008). The role of violent video game content in adolescent development. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 55–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558407310713.

Timm, J. C. (2019, August 5). Fact check: Trump suggests video games to blame for mass shootings. NBCNews.com. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-suggests-video-games-blame-mass-shootings-n1039411.

Wallach, O. (2020, November 27). The history of the gaming industry in one chart. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/gaming-games-consels-xbox-play-station-fun/.

Wan, W., & Bever, L. (2019, August 5). Are video games or mental illness causing America’s mass shootings? No, research shows. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/08/05/is-mental-illness-causing-americas-mass-shootings-no-research-shows/.

Watson, A. (2023, March 21). Leading news websites U.S. by monthly visits 2023. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/381569/leading-news-and-media-sites-usa-by-share-of-visits.

Winkie, L. (2022, March 10). Jack Thompson still has a grudge. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/10/22956300/jack-thompson-interview-violent-games-gta-doom-attorney.