The Depiction of Guns on Prime Time Television

Abstract

Two weeks of regular prime-time programming on four major networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) was monitored for scenes in which guns were either used or displayed. Guns were seen most often on CBS, Saturdays and Sundays, and later in the evenings. Middle-aged, white males were depicted as gun users in better than 75% of the scenes. Most scenes involved pistols. Most often the person who used the gun suffered no repercussions. When a victim was depicted as being shot, seldom was the pain of the victim, the victim's family, or friends demonstrated.