Week 4 - Censorship, effects, and moral panics: What do the media do to people?
This week’s lecture was on censorship, effects and moral panics, focusing on the effect media has on the people. We also looked at how media is regulated focusing on a Marxists view on society and media. The key case studies which occurred were the BBC, Ofcom and the BBFC in regards to films and censorship with age rating guidelines.
The first reading by Johnathan Bignells looks at exploring broadcasting in Britain. It’s broken down into two sections, the first looks at who determines the information broadcast which are coined as “gatekeepers”. (Bignell, 2004: 231) Broadcasters are reliant on the governments decision making whom decide what is and isn’t a ‘moral panic’ hence the creation of the ITC and the BSC. The BSC “oversees the activities of all broadcasters” set up by the success of the Broadcasting Act of 1996. (Bignell, 2004: 233)
It goes onto explore the effect that television and films have highlighting the importance of regulators, stating they’re dependant on “the ideologies of that society, and change as the norms of society change over time”. (Bignells,2004:251) However, it has also been deemed that it is “impossible for researchers to prove that what television viewers see has a definite effect on their behaviour”. (Bignell, 2004:251)
In Jill Nelmes – ‘Introduction to Film Studies’ the main focus is exploring ‘Cinema as Institution’ comparing how the US and UK differ. In the UK films created for adult consumption are subject to legal classification and censorship, responsibility lying within the BBFC however the US have only classification, the ratings are voluntary self-regulated by the MPAA. This was following the supreme court granting local authorities the power to classify films inappropriate for children. (Nelmes, 1999:48)
The reading I found was a journal which explored the dodging of regulation. It explores the fault in the current regulation system if parts of production are completed elsewhere. Kirsten Cather uses case study ‘The Realm of the Senses’ who had an “innovative strategy”. (Cather, 2009: 62) Several films in the UK have done this however overtime scrutiny has increased making it near impossible for Cather loophole to work. However, what it does is show a potential exploit, politicians have the control of mass media and can influence broadcasting, “the establishment of certain representation codes and genres”. (Cather: 2009: 61)
References:
Bignell, J (2004) An Introduction to Television Studies, London: Routledge. pp 229-252
Long, P and Wall, T (2012) ‘Producing audiences: what do media do to people?’ IN Media Studies: Texts, Production, Context (2nd Edition), London: Pearson. pp 274-299
Nelmes, J (1999) An Introduction to Film Studies, 2nd Edition, London: Routledge. pp. 48-53
Cather, K (2009) 'The Realm of Senses'
