A content analysis of violence on turkish primetime television shows

Abstract

Objective: The violence included shows,that are frequently broadcast on television have a huge impact on society. This study aims to assess how violence is being portrayed on television channels that reaches many children, adolescents, and adult audiences in Turkey. Method:This study is a media content analysis (28 television shows and 84 episodes) on six top-rated scripted Turkish-language primetime television shows aired between November 18, 2019, and December 8, 2019. The violence types have been classified in one of the following five categories: verbal, physical, psychological, social, and economical. Besides, some vulnerable special groups, such as children and healthcare workers, also have been evaluated. Results: Our findings indicate that every show had at least one violent behavior. Contrary to the perception in society, the men are exposed to violence more than the women who (56.6% vs. 27.6%). The number of psychological violence content in the television shows (median:16.5) was significantly higher than the number of physical (median:11.0) and verbal (median:13.0) violent content (p<0.05). Conclusion:Our findings have important implications as exposure to popular media affects the behaviors and perceptions of not only children but also all communities. Our study has the potential to shed light on the need to create new ingredients in television shows watched by Turkish society with educational messages regarding the risks and consequences of violent behavior.