Morally Offensive Content and the Juvenile

Morally offensive content  The World’s Most Lucrative Business The World’s Most Lucrative Business  Pornography  Women Against Pornography Women Against Pornography  National Organization for Women National Organization for Women  Pornography is the major form of sex education for adolescents, delivering ideas about the nature of femininity, masculinity and relationships. This pervasive normalization of sexual harm directly contributes to our cultural acceptance of violence against women, and we must organize to reclaim our culture.  Child Pornography

Obscenity  Obscenity  Supreme Court ruling: Miller v. California (1973)  Three conditions established with Miller  Ethical Issue of Porn and Internet access

Practice of Journalism  “Telecrudeness”  Richard Wald:  “There is no such thing as a totally inappropriate news story. The problem is to figure out how to tell it.”  Federal Communication Council (FCC)  History of regluations  1970 – Jerry Garcia  1975 – George Carlin  21 st Century Censorship  NCAC NCAC

Shock and Awe with Images  The use of photos and newsreel that contains graphic or disturbing images  Is it newsworthy?  Teleological perspective  Reaction of audience and consequences for family  Shock value  Justified via rules of good journalism

Case for Moral Limits  Liberty – limiting principles  Harm  Paternalism  Moralism  Offense

And the theories say...  Deontologists  Object to publication of offensive material  Acknowledge right to freedom of expression  Consequentialists  Evaluate effects of the content  Virtue Ethics  Golden mean  Allow reasonable control

Cultural Paternalism  Juvenile justice system  Prohibits child porn, child labor laws, establishes legal age for buying alcohol and getting married with parental consent  Age of majority  John Locke, “On Liberty”  “this doctrine meant to apply only to those beings in the maturity of their faculties.”

Influences & the Juvenile Audience  Movies  Movie ratings  MPAA: created 1968, revised by FTC in 2000  Movie content and the actions of youth  Recordings  FCC regulations

 Television  Ethical dilemma between artistic freedom and responsibility  Advertising  “Cradle to grave” campaigns  History of regulations  National Assoc. of Broadcasters  Action for Children’s TV  Congress

Guidelines for Child Advertising  Avoid high pressure  Do not attempt to mislead  Separate premiums from product  Exclude antisocial behavior  Avoid weasel words  Delineate between program and advertisement

Case Study Assignment  Review case 11 – 1 on page 362 before Thursday class  We will use class time for the Case Study portion