About a year ago I rember watching an American news report that showed footage of a stabbing. The stabbing was shown uncut, with no blurring whatsoever. However, the swear words were bleeped out. Yes, censoring swear words in an otherwise uncut recording of a literal stabbing.
Is this typical of American media? Why would swear words be so much more taboo than (real) violence?
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The news is supposed to be an official thing, so vulgar language is really excluded. At the same time, its mission is to cover things objectively, and that means showing scenes of violence when it needs to be shown.
Broadcast television networks that air on public airwaves are held to a higher standard than cable/streaming, particularly during hours where children may be watching.
Its pretty rare for the typical security camera to have 4k visuals allowing for crystal clear images, so what you saw probably wasn’t all that graphic. Audio may be clearer and they censored to prevent any possible complaints that could lead to FCC sanctions.
There’s plenty of swearing in American media though. You’re just not going to hear it on the nightly, broadcast news.
Generally violence is okay but boobs or swear words not because of religious folks
Americans in my experience (including myself) are much more tolerant of gore than Europeans are, on the airwaves and in life. I don’t have any data to back this up though.
Swearing on cable has become okay over the years. Shows on prime time will regularly say shit and allow a few fucks now
Uncensored stabbing footage is pretty unusual to begin with.
As far as regulatory priorities and the self-regulation to avoid more of them, yes.
It’s pretty lax on violence as long as you’re not seeing active disfiguration or dismemberment but tighter than many countries on language and nudity.
As far as the news specifically, they work very hard to present professionally and cursing is seen as…not that while covering the reality even when its ugly is seen as journalistic integrity to a degree.
…it also helps with ratings, let’s be honest. There’s a reason local stations tend to leave cliff hangars on commercial breaks and leave the most shocking stories for the end of the program. At the end of the day they pay their way with viewers like everything else on TV.
The US has always been cool with violence and sex. Better watch out though if you “take the lord’s name in vain” or say fuck.
I think there’s something to this in the same vein that a woman moaning in pleasure is somehow more taboo for daytime TV than a woman screaming when getting killed or hurt.
Do you have that video? I’ve never seen violence like that in American news. Usually the Spanish networks will show more uncensored violence in their news reports, or at least they used to when I was a kid.