1. Why regulate and censor?

2. Learning intention: To consider why the media is regulated.

3. The media has complete power and influence.
WRITE: Response to this statement. Write down your thoughts with sophistication and detail.

4. What do other experts think?
THINK: What do you think experts think about media influence?

5. Albert Bandura
Virtually since the dawn of television, parents, teachers, legislators, and mental health professionals have been concerned about the content of television programs and its impact, particularly on children. Of special concern has been the portrayal of violence, especially given psychologist Albert Bandura's work on social learning and the tendency of children to imitate what they see. As a result of 15 years of consistently disturbing findings about the violent content of children's programs, the Surgeon General's Scientific Advisory Committee on Television and Social Behaviour was formed in 1969 to assess the impact of violence on the attitudes, values and behaviour of viewers. The resulting Surgeon General's report and a follow-up report in 1982 by the National Institute of Mental Health identify these major effects of seeing violence on television:
Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others
Children may be more fearful of the world around them
Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others
READ

6. Joseph Klapper
In 1960, theorist Joseph Klapper published ‘The Effects of Mass Communication’ in which he proposed the Reinforcement Theory. As Klapper noted: “Whatever it is to be called, it is in essence a shift away from the tendency to regard mass communication as a necessary and sufficient cause of audience effects, towards a view of the media as influences, working amid other influences, in a total situation.” Klapper argued that the mass media does not have the ability to influence audiences. “Regardless of whether the effect in question be social or individual,” he wrote,” the media are more likely to reinforce than to change.” Klapper argued that people’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviour was more likely to be influenced by their family, schools, communities and religious institutions. He argued that the only time the media could influence people was when the media introduced a new idea or concept.
READ

7. How much effect does the media have over individuals?
DRAW: Draw this line in your workbooks.
How much effect does the media have over individuals?
DRAW: Place a cross where YOU think the media’s control sits.
The media has no control
The media has complete control

8. How much effect does the media have over individuals?
DRAW: Place a cross where Bandura thinks the media controls people.
The media has no control
The media has complete control

9. How much effect does the media have over individuals?
DRAW: Place a cross where Klapper thinks the media controls people.
The media has no control
The media has complete control

10. WRITE: Take down three important points from this information
Read: p. 422
WRITE: Take down three important points from this information
Read: (exclude ‘television’)

11. How much effect does the media have over a susceptible audience?
DRAW: Place a cross where you think the different susceptible audience members sit on this continuum.
The media has no control
The media has complete control

12. Media Regulation is an important aspect of a functioning society.
WRITE: Brainstorm arguments for and against media regulation.
Media Regulation is an important aspect of a functioning society.
FOR
AGAINST
Make link to censorship.

13. What is censorship and regulation like now in Australia?
THINK: What do you already know about censorship and regulation in Aus?

14. Classification board

15. Industry bodies, self-regulation and codes of practice (IBSRCP)
READ:
Industry bodies, self-regulation and codes of practice (IBSRCP)
Both the Australian media industry and the journalists within it are ‘regulated’ by an assortment of organisations. The business arrangements and corporate dealings of media organisations are watched by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC) and state Offices of Fair Trading, which wield extensive legislative powers. Industry based self-regulatory bodies examine the behaviour of journalists and publishers employed within media organisations, which watch over a range of codes of ethics and codes of practice. The regulatory side of the Australian media landscape, looks into the complaints driven regulatory environment including the government broadcasting regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA); the voluntary print media regulator, the Australian Press Council (APC), along with a brief consideration of the roles of the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance and the workplace codes of media organisations.

16. Research time! THINK and WRITE: Complete this task
Remember what we learnt about ACMA? Well in preparation for you SAC it’s important to have a good understanding.
a) What is the ACMA and what is its purpose? b) Take a look at the ‘Commercial television code of practice’ and discover the seven matters covered by the code. Then, for each code write down why you think this matter should, or should not be regulated. Feel free to look more closely at the document to assist you.
c) Take a brief look at the ‘Election Guidelines’ and choose 3 points that you find interesting or relevant. Summarise them and comment on why you think they are regulated.
d) Have a look at the ‘Children’s Television Standards’ what are the guidelines surrounding children’s TV and why do you think this is?
e) Consider Bob Francis’ forced apology after some of his statements. Find the code that the ACMA could have used to fine Francis. Do you think that this sort of regulation is important?
This is important- give them lots of time on this.
Now that you have a small understanding of some of the regulation that occurs through the ACMA consider carefully how do you think this influences the nature and range of texts produced by media organisation?