Media violence | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

When are the entertainment industries going to take some of the responsibility for violence in America? It is ironic that many in the entertainment business agree that smoking on television might influence young people to smoke, yet they continue to deny that violence in media can promote violence in real life.

I am especially concerned about the number of violent shows on major television networks. While changing channels, I have seen some graphic, disturbing scenes, even in ads for upcoming shows,

Last month, a few movie producers decided to postpone their movies' opening dates in light of the tragic killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Those postponements did not change the fact that even the advertisements for the movies are full of men shooting and killing.

Some connected with the movie "Django Unchained" said that movies don't create violence, they simply depict it and reflect the violence in America. That is a sad and uneducated statement.

It is time for the entertainment industries to take responsibility. Violence in media does influence and desensitize us.

Lisa B. Clark

Provo