small screen News Digest of Australian Council on Children and the Media (trading as Young Media Australia) ISSN: 0817-8224 No. 244 July 2008 was in discussions with ISPs to develop a Parents of young children want less Web Filter trial uniform approach to federal policy on the regulation of internet content. He said that media violence with overseas providers helping to regulate The Federal governmant has released the content it was important that the industry Earlier this year, to establish a baseline findings of a web filtering trial conducted in Australia took an active role in govern- for evaluation of its new resource, Choos- in Tasmania by the Australian Communica- ment attempts to implement an election ing fright-free, fight-free viewing, YMA con- tions and Media Authority. Twenty six ISP promise by imposing a filtering regime. ducted a survey of 65 parents with young based filtering products were submitted He pointed out that if the industry did not children, from three early childhood set- for trial, but only six made the final test. cooperate, they would not be in a position tings in metro Adelaide, to determine to complain about the outcomes of govern- their views on media violence. Results were mixed. The report states that ment policy. between 88 per cent and 97 percent of ille- Here is a summary of the findings: gal or inappropriate content was blocked. The full report can be found at http:// However, while all six tested products, www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/ • Overall, participants expressed strong which were not named, were able to block lib310554/isp-level_internet_content_filter- agreement that violence in the me- entire networks of non-Web protocol traffic, ing_trial-report.pdf dia has a negative effect on children. such as instant messaging and peer-to-peer networks, none could identify illegal or in- The story in The Autralian can be found at • All participants either fully agreed or appropriate content over those networks. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/sto- agreed to some extent that children ry/0,24897,24092793-15306,00.html can learn to be aggressive by watch- The next step will be to assess filtering ing violence on TV or in movies. products in a live pilot with ISPs and in- The high price of food marketing ternet users. • 95.4% fully or partially agreed that According to a report in The Australian, In- The US Federal Trade Commission has children can learn to be aggressive ternet Industry Association chief executive, recently released a report on food mar- by playing violent computer games. Peter Coroneos said that his organisation keting to children and adolescents. At the request of Congress, FTC subpoenaed • 95.4% fully or partially agreed that 44 food and beverage companies to find viewing violence can make chil- out how much money is spent target- dren scared of the world they live in. ing young people with food marketing. • 64.6% disagreed that when vio- The FTC identified $1.6 billion as the lence is shown as funny, or in a amount spent by these food and bever- cartoon, it doesn’t hurt children. age companies on marketing directly to children in 2006, but that figure, however • 86.2% disagreed that so long huge, is not a true reflection of children’s as the hero is attractive and experience of that marketing. The fig- good triumphs over evil, me- ure did not include food advertising and dia violence doesn’t do any harm. product placement during general audi- ence programming watched by children, • 89.2% agreed that watching the So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized such as American Idol and The Simpsons TV news, including violent foot- which typically have larger child and teen Childhood and What Parents Can Do to age of world or local events, is audiences than programs considered chil- Protect Their Kids a problem for young children. dren’s shows. It also does not include the value of toys offered with fast food meals Jean Kilbourne & Diane Levin • 92.3% agreed that there is too for children and other cross-promotional much violence in the media. advertising. “The book deals with children from infancy • 92.3% agreed that they try to lim- through adolescence and is very much about To read the full report go to: it the amount of violent media to boys as well as girls. It is for parents, teachers, http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/07/ which their children are exposed. and everyone who cares about children. Diane P064504foodmktingreport.pdf and I have been concerned about these issues • 86.2% agreed they were concerned for years and hope the book will spark a lot of Stop press when children’s viewing times are discussion and action.” Jean Kilbourne Just out - For Your Information: interrupted by violent footage, in Australian Privacy Law and Practice http://www.sosexysosoon.com/ news breaks or TV News promos. See page 2 PARENTS WANT LESS VIOLENCE WEB FILTER TRIAL PRIVACY LAW & PRACTICE HIGH PRICE FOOD MARKETING SO SEXY SO SOON SPAA: KIDS TV small screen July 2008 p2 EDITORIAL “Tell someone who cares.” taken into account something they should have. There is no review of no. 244 July 2008 In July the Advertising Standards Bureau (the the merits of the decision. AANA’s selfregulatory arm) commenced a small screen public education campaign to let people know And we are still wondering why the Senate Standing Committee on Editor: Barbara Biggins OAM that there’s a place where they can raise their Environment, Communication and Barbara Biggins Compiler: Caroline Donald concerns about all forms of advertising. OAM Editorial Board: Barbara Biggins, the Arts’ report on the sexualisation Hon CEO Jane Roberts, Judy Bundy, Ads have appeared on commercial TV, radio, in of children chose to place so Elizabeth Handsley. newspapers, on the internet and on billboards much reliance on the AANA’s revised Code on Advertising to Children to fix the issues. The small screen is published at the from July 13, and are said to be in response to beginning of each month and community surveys that showed that awareness ASB has been well pleased with what it sees as reports on the events of the levels of the ASB should be improved. A “the Committee’s endorsement of the current previous month 11 issues per spokesperson for the ASB said that they’d selfregulatory system as both cost-effective and year (Dec/Jan double issue) welcome feedback from the community on their appropriate” but the provision in the new version Published by revamped information system. of the Code does not come close to addressing Young Media Australia community concerns as they were stated in PO Box 447 Along with this, the ASB had earlier (in April) submissions to the inquiry. Glenelg 5045 proudly announced a new independent review South Australia system for decisions made by the Ad Standards Show you care. Use the ASB’s complaints systems [email protected] Board, who hear complaints about advertising. if there are ads you don’t care for. www.youngmedia.org.au The Hon Deidre O’Connor, a former Chair Tel: +61 8 8376 2111 Web links Fax: +61 8 8376 2122 of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal, and Helpline: 1800 700 357 former Justice of the Federal Court will be the reviewer. The introduction of a review process Advertising Standards Bureau: YMA is a national, non-profit is to be welcomed, but the fees that are payable, http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/page38. community organisation. asp Its mission is to promote a if one wishes to apply for a review, are not. An quality media environment for individual must pay $500, and incorporated Australian children. associations (such as YMA) would have to pay Media release re independent reviewer $1000. A bit of a disincentive- and doesn’t show No part of this publication a lot of care for the concerns of the http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/ may be reproduced without images/04-08_Independent_reviewer.doc permission of the Editor. community!. Contributions are welcome. In addition, the applicant for a review must be ASB Reviews: process and costs one of the original complainants. And reviews are all about process- there must either be new http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/page64. evidence, or the ASB must be shown to have taken asp Young Media Australia’s into account something they shouldn’t, or not services are supported by donations and a grant from the Cont from page 1 might not even know, or to publish abusive or insulting comments about employers, teachers, The South Australian Just out - for Your Information: or even clients in public fora. Surprise turns to Attorney General’s Australian Privacy Law and practice shock when we hear of the practice of ‘sexting’ Department – using a mobile phone to send a sexually explicit Parents and carers of children and young photo of yourself to another teenager you fancy. people are increasingly concerned about the risks associated with use of modern technology. This is before we even reach the issue of what We are well aware of the dangers of stalking, Young Media Australia’s children and young people do with images of cyber-bullying and commercial exploitation, Web Page and each other – for example the recent case where but linking all of these is the issue of privacy. teenagers recorded footage of a physical fight Broadband access Just what kind of information should young between two girls and posted it on the internet. are supported by its people make available in public fora such as chat The question is how best to help children Internet Service Provider rooms and social networking sites, and what and young people avoid making mistakes information should others be able to demand? Internode that could dog them for the rest of their lives.