The Impact of Media Violence on Children Hearing
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
S. HRG. 110–1181 THE IMPACT OF MEDIA VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JUNE 26, 2007 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 76–392 PDF WASHINGTON : 2012 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:41 Nov 01, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\SCST0626 JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TED STEVENS, Alaska, Vice Chairman JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota TRENT LOTT, Mississippi BARBARA BOXER, California KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BILL NELSON, Florida OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine MARIA CANTWELL, Washington GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARK PRYOR, Arkansas JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JIM DEMINT, South Carolina CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri DAVID VITTER, Louisiana AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARGARET L. CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel LILA HARPER HELMS, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and Policy Director CHRISTINE D. KURTH, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel KENNETH R. NAHIGIAN, Republican Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:41 Nov 01, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\SCST0626 JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on June 26, 2007 ............................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Dorgan ................................................................................. 60 Statement of Senator Klobuchar ............................................................................ 7 Statement of Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................... 5 Statement of Senator Rockefeller ........................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of Kevin W. Saunders, J.D., Ph.D., Professor, Michigan State University College of Law, prepared statement ...................................... 65 Statement of Senator Smith ................................................................................... 7 Statement of Senator Stevens ................................................................................ 4 Statement of Senator Sununu ................................................................................ 6 Statement of Senator Thune ................................................................................... 63 WITNESSES Kunkel, Ph.D., Dale, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Arizona .............................................................................................................. 17 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 19 Liguori, Peter, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company ............. 14 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 16 McIntyre, Jeff J., Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, Public Policy Office, American Psychological Association ....................................................... 21 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 Tribe, Laurence H., Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University, Professor of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School; on behalf of the Ad Hoc Media Coalition ....................................................................................... 25 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 27 Winter, Timothy F., President, Parents Television Council ................................. 8 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 11 APPENDIX Cantor, Ph.D., Joanne, Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison; on behalf of the Center for Successful Parenting, prepared statement ........... 80 Copps, Hon. Michael J., Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), prepared statement .................................................................................. 75 Inouye, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii, prepared statement ........... 75 Letter, dated June 26, 2007 from Americal Civil Liberties Union to Hon. Daniel K. Inouye and Hon. Ted Stevens ..................................................... 87 Letters, dated June 25, 2007 from the Association of National Adver- tisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies and the American Advertising Federation to Hon. Daniel K. Inouye ...................................... 77 National Association of Broadcasters, prepared statement ................................. 91 Pryor, Hon. Mark, U.S. Senator from Arkansas, prepared statement ................ 75 Representatives of Program Networks .................................................................. 102 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Daniel K. Inouye to: Dale Kunkel, Ph.D. ........................................................................................... 111 Peter Liguori ..................................................................................................... 113 Jeff J. McIntyre ................................................................................................ 103 Laurence H. Tribe ............................................................................................ 109 Timothy F. Winter ............................................................................................ 105 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Bill Nelson to: Dale Kunkel, Ph.D. ........................................................................................... 112 Peter Liguori ..................................................................................................... 115 Jeff J. McIntyre ................................................................................................ 104 Laurence H. Tribe ............................................................................................ 110 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:41 Nov 01, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\SCST0626 JACKIE IV Page Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Bill Nelson to—Continued Timothy F. Winter ............................................................................................ 107 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Mark Pryor to: Dale Kunkel, Ph.D. ........................................................................................... 112 Peter Liguori ..................................................................................................... 115 Jeff J. McIntyre ................................................................................................ 104 Laurence H. Tribe ............................................................................................ 111 Timothy F. Winter ............................................................................................ 108 VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:41 Nov 01, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\SCST0626 JACKIE THE IMPACT OF MEDIA VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2007 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m. in room SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA Senator ROCKEFELLER. This hearing will come to order. Senator Inouye, the Chairman of the Committee, has asked me to open this morning’s hearing on the impact of media violence on children. I’m very pleased to welcome our witnesses today. I know many of you have traveled from across the country to be here today. Before I start, I would like to mention that FCC—Chairman Kevin Martin could not be here today. He wanted to be here, was planning to be here, but his several day old young son, as of last night, remains in intensive care, and so, it is entirely understand- able that he would not be here. So, we wish he and Catherine and the little boy, William, all the best. I also have to recognize the work of Commissioner Copps on this issue. Unfortunately, Commissioner Copps also could not be here today, due to other, as they say, pressing FCC business. But he has been a genuine leader and an advocate on this issue, as I think most of you know. The issue of protecting children from indecent, violent, and pro- fane content is a deeply personal and important issue to this Sen- ator. Last Congress, I introduced legislation to address this issue, and I will do so again in the coming weeks, and I will keep on doing so until something happens. After years of inadequate and ineffective voluntary efforts by the industry, we are no closer to solving the problem of indecent and violent programming for children, despite the claims that parents have many tools