Games: The Favourite Sacrificial Lamb in Lieu of Common Sense

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When all other options have been exhausted, what other better place to turn than to games when seeking a source upon which to place the blame to justify illegal actions on the part of a young member of this society? Or, better yet, use the games as a justification to heavily censor or even eradicate a certain genre from the shelves because some crackpot religious wank job has decided that it contributes to the inadequately named 'moral decay' and the destruction of the 'fabric of society' and that these games are sending us 'to hell in a hand basket'. (Are they any other euphemisms that I've forgot?)

Of course, there isn't just that side that likes to mention video games as a cause for one's actions or as a solution to prevent future actions because they have an odd asinine idea that because a youngster witnessed it in a game that it was a perfectly valid action that is legal in our society. There is also the media hype that surrounds it with plays a large role in helping to fuel the drive to censor games because of ideologies coming from certain media outlets based on their own pre-determined biases.

As it turns out, last night in a late night stint driven by the high levels of testosterone that make the male species prone to acts of gross stupidity, two young men, both 18 years old decided that it would be fun to take a pair of Mercedes and street race in Toronto on in a 50km/H zone going 140km/H.

In fact, here are two perfectly good articles we can use to compare how the media can hype up, based on so-called 'facts', the situation, or it can impartially report it as it was meant to.

CBC News: Taxi driver killed, teens arrested, after road race in Toronto
The Star: Cabbie killed by racing Mercedes

Toronto police have charged two teens after a Tuesday night collision that took the life of a taxi driver.

Investigators say two vehicles were racing through city streets when the accident occurred.

One of the racing vehicles collided with the taxi. The force of the collision slammed the cab into a light pole.

CBC provides a short and brief but adequate account of what happened. They made it clear about who is at fault while not mentioning any causes. If there had been a probably cause, the police who were at the scene would've provided the answer and if it was in stride with their impartial reporting policies, CBC would've included it in the news bit about the two young men who caused the death of another with their actions.

Racing north were two Mercedes driven by 18-year-olds, each pushing 140 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, police say. Next to one driver was the popular video game Need For Speed.

As the Mercedes rounded a bend, the taxi made a left turn on to Whitehall Rd. A loud crash shattered the still of Tuesday night.

One of the Mercedes, a silver 1999 model, T-boned the taxi, drilling it into a utility pole, police say.

Khan, 46, died instantly, and the driver of the mangled Mercedes escaped with just a few scratches. The driver of the other car fled, returning to the scene after ditching his car a few blocks away, posing as a bystander, police say.

Right away, it's obvious that the impartially of the reporter has been jeopardized by the need to mention frivolous details in their report. By including minute details that turn a report on a tragic death into a descriptive play-by-play.

In reporting, sometimes it's best to not quote any one besides those who have worked with the person if seeking a personal comment about the deceased for a need to add a touch of humanity to the death and to the police for their assessment. They've been trained to deal with these situations and are the best ones to give their opinion on the matter.

"It's a horrible irony," said Det. Paul Lobsinger about the presence of the video game, which allows players to choose high-end cars and race them through city streets while being pursued by police cruisers.

"Some have said this is life imitating art but I don't know, " said Lobsinger, adding "a game is a game, but when you get behind the wheel it's reality."

Lobsinger described the game as an "ultra-violent driving simulation, fighting simulation and criminal simulation."

"But are games the cause?" he asked. "Absolutely not. But, it is rather ironic."

Police say alcohol was not a factor, and that it's not clear if the video game was played before the two went out driving.

But, in choosing quotes, the reporters have the choice on what to include and what not to include and it can change the whole impact of the story and transform how it is received by the reader. If the reporter chooses quotes that are designed to not remain impartial, the reporter has a duty to counter balance it with another professional opinion, otherwise the article is skewed in favour of one argument over another.

Interestingly, the reporter from the Toronto Star had chosen to directly quote the doctor, while paraphrasing the police. Does this mean the reporter places less confidence in the words of a professional and more into the hands of an 'expert' simply because one has more of an academic background over the other? Or is it done out of personal preference, hence overlooking a core principle of reporting?

Jim Bell, manager of Diamond Taxi, said Khan had been with the company for three years and called his death a tragedy for everyone involved.

"Those kids must be feeling absolutely terrible and the parents of these kids who were racing must be feeling devastated."

And since when is a manager of a taxi company an expert psychiatrist? Sure it makes the reporter look good because they've done their 'research', but it discredits them. Then again, by making the game the centre caused based on opinion that hasn't been justified by the police.

In this case, extreme indifference and a will to stick to JUST the facts would've helped, but when there is hype and mention of anything other than stupidity and alcohol mentioned when there is an act of violence resulting in trauma, either physical or psychological, or in death, the media brings out any mention of videos when possible. That is, they have no regard for impartiality.