British Media Stops Claiming GTA Caused Riots (Sorta)

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
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British Media Stops Claiming GTA Caused Riots (Sorta)



The first newspaper that blamed videogames for the riots in Britain has backed off, but another tabloid has taken its place.

Nobody was exactly surprised when the British media <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112137-British-Media-Blames-Games-For-London-Riots>started blaming the current riots on videogames. After all, games are still a favorite scapegoat of various mainstream newsgroups. However, it turns out that the newspaper to originally accuse games of corrupting the country's youth has quietly stopped doing so, but another tabloid is still riding the anti-GTA bandwagon.

A few days ago, U.K. newspaper The London Evening Standard ran a sub-headline that claimed "children as young as ten, inspired by video games, among the looters." However, in the reprinted edition of the same issue, the Evening Standard changed the print to read, "Children as young as ten hunted by police after riots across city."

According to Computer & Video Games, the change is due to pressure from both it and other media outlets publicly shaming the paper for its accusations.

Unfortunately, the Daily Mail decided to blame the rioting on games. The tabloid recently quoted an made-up anonymous London police officer:

"A policeman said last night that children involved in the rioting and stealing were inspired by violent video game Grand Theft Auto.

"The hugely popular computer game, which should not be played or bought by anyone under 18, is popular among teenagers, with many having the game given to them by their parents.

"In Tottenham, the scene of the first riots on Saturday night, a police officer said: 'These are bad people who did this. Kids are out of control. "'When I was young it was all Pacman and board games. Now they're playing Grand Theft Auto and want to live it for themselves."

Let's be honest, this is nothing new. The Daily Mail has a <a href=http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2004/07/murder-by-playstation.php>history of accusing Rockstar's games of turning children into felons. At least the Evening Standard backed off on this baseless accusation.

Source: CVG via <a href=http://gamepolitics.com/2011/08/09/london-evening-standard-corrects-game-blame-headline-daily-mail-runs-it>GamePolitics

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SenseOfTumour

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Jul 11, 2008
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So, headline would be more accurately, 'British Media pauses for 5 seconds on claiming GTA caused riots, then carries on anyway, as it suits them'.

I guess all the time they're just going ahead and making shit up, they're not hacking the phones of the dead, or spying thru D list celebrities bedroom window in the hope of getting a tit shot. All hail the freedom of the press!

Still, this isn't as good an example of backtracking as the Mail's recent one, where a tragic accident occured and a 13 year old girl was killed by a falling branch, and the Mail twisted it into 'girl dies in park because of teacher's strike', only removing it from the site when called out on it by everyone with some semblance of humanity left in their soul. (Which would explain how it made it to getting published, no Mail employee is going to have a problem with it).
 

latenightapplepie

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Nov 9, 2008
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How ridiculous. At least the made up anonymous police officer seemed to be judging parents for children getting their hands on these mind-controlling videogames rather than, I dunno, the games industry or a lack of regulation. I suppose that's something.
 

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
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SenseOfTumour said:
So, headline would be more accurately, 'British Media pauses for 5 seconds on claiming GTA caused riots, then carries on anyway, as it suits them'.

I guess all the time they're just going ahead and making shit up, they're not hacking the phones of the dead, or spying thru D list celebrities bedroom window in the hope of getting a tit shot. All hail the freedom of the press!

Still, this isn't as good an example of backtracking as the Mail's recent one, where a tragic accident occured and a 13 year old girl was killed by a falling branch, and the Mail twisted it into 'girl dies in park because of teacher's strike', only removing it from the site when called out on it by everyone with some semblance of humanity left in their soul. (Which would explain how it made it to getting published, no Mail employee is going to have a problem with it).
Secret Science Fact?: The Daily Mail is the scummiest of scum-sucking bottom feeders when it comes to tabloids.
 

PingoBlack

Searching for common sense ...
Aug 6, 2011
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People prefer excuses and whitewash ...

Because the truth is scary, complex and means real, hard effort to figure out exactly why society went that far out of whack this summer. And it will take even more effort to get things fixed after this.
 
Mar 9, 2010
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Frankly, I'm surprised that man isn't a hotel owning hippo taking vast amounts of ecstasy every minute, what else could be the product of Hungry Hungry Hippos, Monopoly and Pacman?

I didn't know it was legal to make up sources and quotes in a news article. I do wonder why you would ask a police officer why someone committed a crime, you'd be far better off asking a psychologist or a bin man.

Yes, this is just one big joke to me, why do you ask?
 

Outlaw Torn

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Dec 24, 2008
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GTA caused the mining strikes of the 80s too. It's completely true because a nice white policeman told me when he was resting between beating up illegal immigrants, here is what he said; "All of these miners have been playing that GTA bollocks! In my day we just beat up people of different colours and made sandwiches for the kind folks at the BNP."

See, totally true. I should start my own newspaper.
 

vansau

Mortician of Love
May 25, 2010
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Outlaw Torn said:
GTA caused the mining strikes of the 80s too. It's completely true because a nice white policeman told me when he was resting between beating up illegal immigrants, here is what he said; "All of these miners have been playing that GTA bollocks! In my day we just beat up people of different colours and made sandwiches for the kind folks at the BNP."

See, totally true. I should start my own newspaper.
I see a long career at Fox News for you, sir.
 

thelonewolf266

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Nov 18, 2010
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Your "made up anonymous police officer" line made me laugh though now I feel bad because its so true that they all just make shit up to start witch-hunts and games seem to be a favourite target.
 

Truly-A-Lie

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Nov 14, 2009
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Okay it's clear in my mind that the only way videogames will ever stop being the scapegoat is the same way that rock n' roll, metal, rap music and horror movies did it - pass the blame to something new. With that in mind, I have a plan that will stop this once and for all.
Tomorrow, I will write an article entitled "The X Factor Caused London Riots" and if we all do the same, we'll have a new go-to source of pure unadulterated "youth corrupter".
 

Blunderboy

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Apr 26, 2011
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Oh Daily Mail, you never fail to disappoint me when it comes to baseless accusations regarding games, immigrants, cancer, or ideally, all three at once.
In all honesty I very much doubt that anyone outside of the Daily Mail offices regards them as a serious journalistic venture.
Actually thinking about it, they probably do, which is worrying.
 

unacomn

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Mar 3, 2008
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"'When I was young it was all Pacman"

Yea, I remember the raids to the cemetery to eat the corpses and leave only their eyes. No, really, that's what Pacman is about, eating the dead. You can learn more about it in my show about Pong, Mario, The Sims, Lemmings, Rollercoaster Tycoon and other seemingly harmless games are actually the tools of evil made to turn ordinary people into mindless killing machines.

http://www.games-arena.ro/2010/11/13/top-7-jocuri-non-violente/

(Note: It's a parody)
 

Vohn_exel

Residential Idiot
Oct 24, 2008
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At least they got the part right about it being the parent's responsibility to control what their kids play. ...Ok, so that's not what they were doing, but still mentioning parents will maybe get the attention of at least a few people.
 

Tanis

The Last Albino
Aug 30, 2010
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IT'S TRUE!

I've been playing game like Icewind Dale of YEARS...
Do you know how many RATS I've killed because of it?

Shit, I kill more small mammals per year than Ozzy.
 

Discon

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Sep 14, 2009
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Saying that R-rated games cause teenage brutality is absurd in so many ways. Firstly, few people are affected by games. Secondly, teens who are easily influenced should not have violent games, therefore it is more appropriate to say that those few cases were caused by bad parenting.
 
Jul 14, 2008
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Please don't describe The Daily Mail as "British Media." They are a black hole where a newspaper should be, and they make me feel ashamed.
 

008Zulu_v1legacy

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Sep 6, 2009
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vansau said:
Secret Science Fact?: The Daily Mail is the scummiest of scum-sucking bottom feeders when it comes to tabloids.
A famous Australian once said: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

I think if the Daily Mail actually had to do proper news reporting, they would find real life too boring.
 

Zing

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Oct 22, 2009
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Oh wow, that is the most retarded set of quotes I've ever read. There is no one in the world who would utter those words.

008Zulu said:
vansau said:
Secret Science Fact?: The Daily Mail is the scummiest of scum-sucking bottom feeders when it comes to tabloids.
A famous Australian once said: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

I think if the Daily Mail actually had to do proper news reporting, they would find real life too boring.
Mark Twain was not Australian. :\