surrounding video games that emerged reflects the general attitude by USA journalists during this period. The findings also revealed that since the (2003) article and between 2001 William’s to 2014 there were less negative themes (discourses or topoi) generated about video games consumption within the USA. This supports the position that newspapers can in some instances oppose dominant discourses and produce neutral, objective or ideologically-free texts (Van Dijk 2001:352). This overall shift within the USA suggests that, unlike the journalists within Ireland, US journalists have become more informed have been exposed to more neutral and objective studies on the effects of violent video game consumption. 4.5 The Violence Topoi within the USA This research found three negative and five neutral texts within the USA topoi during ‘violence’ 2001 to 2014. A significant shift occurred during the period since the predominantly negative themes that (2003) article discovered. The discourses surrounding video games are no William’s longer predominantly negative; instead, they have moved towards a more neutral and balanced position. 4.6 The Violence Negative within the USA ‘Topoi’ Analysis revealed that the discourses under discussion were ideologically driven. One article begins with the findings of a study that states that and teenagers who play violent video “children games show increased which sets the tone physical aggression months afterward” (George:2008) for the rest of the article. The tone of the texts is framed with the usage of specific words, what Wodak and Meyer (2009) would describe as a form of rhetoric in order to convey a degree of certainty, authority and taken for granted knowledge (p.9). The results from one of the studies, for example, are presented as evidence that playing violent video games has harmful “conclusive effects on children and adolescents" (George 2008). Evidence that is is beyond ‘conclusive’
surrounding video games that emerged reflects the general attitude by USA journalists during this period. The findings also revealed that since the William’s (2003) article and between 2001 to 2014 there were less negative themes (discourses or topoi) generated about video games consumption within the USA. This supports the position that newspapers can in some instances oppose dominant discourses and produce neutral, objective or ideologically-free texts (Van Dijk 2001:352). This overall shift within the USA suggests that, unlike the journalists within Ireland, US journalists have become more informed have been exposed to more neutral and objective studies on the effects of violent video game consumption. 4.5 The Violence Topoi within the USA This research found three negative and five neutral texts within the USA ‘violence’ topoi during 2001 to 2014. A significant shift occurred during the period since the predominantly negative themes that William’s (2003) article discovered. The discourses surrounding video games are no longer predominantly negative; instead, they have moved towards a more neutral and balanced position. 4.6 The Violence Negative ‘Topoi’ within the USA Analysis revealed that the discourses under discussion were ideologically driven. One article begins with the findings of a study that states that “children and teenagers who play violent video games show increased physical aggression months afterward” (George:2008) which sets the tone for the rest of the article. The tone of the texts is framed with the usage of specific words, what Wodak and Meyer (2009) would describe as a form of rhetoric in order to convey a degree of certainty, authority and taken for granted knowledge (p.9). The results from one of the studies, for example, are presented as “conclusive evidence that playing violent video games has harmful effects on children and adolescents" (George 2008). Evidence that is ‘conclusive’ is beyond
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