Legal and Ethical Issues

Hypodermic Needle Theory:

• Theorises that audiences are essentially passive, and will readily absorb messages relayed to them by the media
• This means that, after watching a violent horror film, or playing a POV shooter, audience memebers will be negatively influenced 
• This presupposes that audiences are passive active (they make sense of media message through personal and social contexts)

Moral Panic and Folk Devils:

• In 1972, Stanley Cohen developed the moral panic theory, this encompassed ideas of folk devils in society.

Moral Panic:

• When "a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests".
• His research was based on the mods and rockers in the 1960s, but have since been applied to the media.

The Stages of Moral Panic:

1. Someone, something or a group are defined as a threat to social norms or community interests
2. The threat is then dedicated in a simple and recognisable symbol/form by the media
3. The portrayal of this symbol rouses public concern 
4. There is a response from authorities and policy makers
5. The moral panic over the issue results in social changes within the community

Watershed - 9pm onwards. Post watershed, sex, nudity, and wearing is permitted