Violence in the media causes violence in society.

(Neg. 2nd speaker)

We live in an imperfect world. Right at this moment, wars are being fought, people being wounded and killed. The media, reporting these to the public, does not generate more violence, rather, it can help to diminish violence in society by making people look these problems in the face. Land mines in Angola were a cause of destruction and devastation to its impoverished people. That is, until Princess Diana stepped in. Photogenic and popular, she instantly attracted all the cameras. The world found out about innocent children hobbling through life on wooden legs, families blown to bits by the pernicious land mines. With this 'CNN effect', people from around the world donated $500 million to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. And even though Diana is gone now, The Ottawa Convention and its ratification by 64 countries last week are the positive and long-lasting effects of the Media's scrutiny. The war in Bosnia might never have stopped, had it not been for the courageous reporters who took photographs and made reports on the bloody and gory conflict. Bombarded by letters and calls from appalled members of the public, members of parliaments across Europe and congressmen in the United States forced their governments to deal with the issue. Ultimately this led to the involvement of peace keeping United Nations troops to control conflict. The media reflects violence. It frequently makes accurate reports on horrible situations, so drawing public concern to take positive action against violence. Ladies and gentlemen, if you tune in to the news tonight and see a report on a man who has chopped his wife up into 26 chunks and stowed them inside his refrigerator, will you run after your spouse with a chopper because you're having a tiff? I don't think so, unless you are a psychopatha natural born killer. And despite what our opponents may try to imply, thank God, most of us are perfectly able to keep any violent impulses under control.