I have not played Grand Theft Auto 5, though the point is more about how uninformed the local media near me are about this type of entertainment. They did not seem to put much research into developing this article and diving deeper into both sides.

The article in question is this.

After reading it all I could do is shake my head when I read the story. Being a new parent has made me think about how I would react if my kid wanted to play violent games in general. My wife and I had a talk about which type of media our son would be consuming as he gets older, and what would be ok and not ok for him to consume. As of right now I see other forms of media (ie TV, movies) to be more 'harmful' than video games. This seems off to me because those other forms of media are not given the same treatment as GTA5 or video games in general are getting.

I am sorry for my rant but I thought I would just like to share.

Also here is a link to other local people commenting on the story.

Has anyone else's local news done any reporting?

Blanket 'rules' are always kind of silly in this sense. As a society we should probably not assume anything is horrible for all kids of a certain age. Each kid develops differently and behaves differently, and nobody knows these kids better than their parents - generally speaking, anyway. That's why government enforcement of these ratings is silly. Having a general guideline, like we have, is fine because it informs parents what is in a product, but saying that all kids who are thirteen will definitely not be able to handle a game rated Teen, is kind of absurd. Kudos on you for discussing this stuff with your wife. Seems like most parents wait until they're in the store and the kid runs up to them with a new copy of GTAV to decide what their stance is.

I didn't read the article you posted, I'm pretty sure it'd just upset me. I feel like I've been reading a lot of misinterpretations of the stuff present in the game, and most people are not willing to discuss it rationally. So, I'm just going to go enjoy it for myself. Maybe once I wrap it up I'll seek out somebody who dislikes the game to have an intelligent conversation with.

@pa21ris: I read through that whole thing and still don't know who that Corcimiglia woman is. Just a random mother that they interviewed at a random location? Or was she at Best Buy next to that employee, Jared Joy?

I'm just a little surprised they didn't get more than one parent's thoughts, because that woman just seemed to have been shown a trailer of the game and then asked to respond passionately about it. I at least agree with both of them that kids likely shouldn't be playing GTA V and it's the parents' responsibility to know what kind of content they're giving to their children.

She seemed a bit freaked out about it, but I have to say, that story was actually far more decent than I expected.

Can the sub-par reporting of your local news broadcast make you dumber? Find out tonight at 10:00!

Is willful ignorance actually bliss? Feel informed while actually learning little, tonight at 11:00!

You can't really expect local news to offer anything comprehensive on such a big topic.

Then again, I wouldn't count one interviewed mother as "some local families." If nothing, this piece highlights the ever-present issue that some people just don't know how to handle covering video games without resorting to themes of appropriateness for children and the link between games and violence.

What did you dislike about that article? It mentioned things that the game really has, didn't attribute negative real-world actions to video games, quoted regular citizens instead of self-proclaimed experts, and implied that the current rating system works when parents aren't idiots.

It was all level-headed and honest.

Woman took an interest into her child's interests, if anything this is bringing awareness to parents who just let their young kids play whatever without knowing what is involved in them then complaining when they find out later.

@mlarrabee: I'm guessing he was bothered by them saying "local families" while only quoting from one angry mother. They could have at least gotten two parents, maybe three. They didn't need half the article to be quotes from one person.

Though, I agree that the article is far from the worst I've seen.

I wouldn't say it's the worst, just lazy. It was clearly a quick one if they only bothered to get two sources. If anything at least get another parent or two. Talk to the kid. It just feels one-sided and incomplete.

That said, if I was a parent I wouldn't buy my kid this game.

Grand Theft Auto isn't something traditionally a kid should play. Of course, depending on the kid's maturity and understanding of fiction and reality there can be a grey line, but that's to the parents discretion. They should be regularly proactive in making sure their kid knows the difference. Just like other media, there's various content appropriate for different sets of age groups and people. The point is, parents need to be aware of what their children play.

Also, whether local or national, I wouldn't expect any news media group to put a lot of actual preparation or diverse thoughts/opinions into talking about Video Games.

I read through it and didn't think it was too bad, they basically landed on the obvious conclusion that "it's up to the parents buying it for their kids etc." I was expecting to hear the tired old phrases the news anchors used to say like "The game rewards players for murdering innocent people and engaging in sexual activity".

I found the quotes from the Best Buy employee much more offensive. "They made it like real life!" I can just imagine that dude in my head and I want to punch him in the mouth.

As for the rest of the article, I don't really see much wrong. They didn't misrepresent the game. It's much better than that Mass Effect "controversy" when it came out about explicit alien fucking that didn't exist.

http://www.wafb.com/story/23509833/auburn-student-arrested-after-trying-to-recreate-video-game-in-real-life

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

An Auburn student is facing nearly a dozen charges after police say he tried to play out the video game "Grand Theft Auto" in real life.

Police say Zachary Burgess, 20, of Hoover, Ala., hopped in a car left running outside a bar in Tigerland on Saturday night with a woman still inside.

Burgess is charged with vehicle theft, kidnapping, and nine counts of hitting other cars and fleeing.

Prison records show Burgess paid his $40,000 bond.