Media Regulation: Debates & Perspectives

BBFC- Films
OFcom- Television
Pegi- Games
DCMS- Department for culture, media & sport

BBFC:

Censorship in the UK is medium specific. However, the internet has beaten this considering if anyone wanted to look hard enough, they can find any film they want- even films that are banned in the UK.

Ofcom:

The coalescence of media regulation began in 2003 with the creation of OFcom. Before Ofcom, all UK media was regulated by;

-ITC
-OFTEL
-BSC
-RA
-OFT
-BBFC
-BBC

The main problem with specific media regulation is that media effects debates. There are theories that suggest certain films will have a certain effect on a person: however, one film has a different effect on everyone.

Films, and increasingly video games, are still being blamed for violence in society:

-Virginia tech shootings, april 16th 2007. A korean violence film named 'Old Boy' was blamed for influencing a high school student to massacre 30 of his fellow students, then take his own life.

However, the BBFC's liberalisation since the late 1990's and the creation of OFcom has led to more emphasis on 'self-regulation'. Regulation should now be in the hands of the individuals/ parents, not institutions. However, this is contradicted by the unregulated internet.

Online Regulation

In the 1998, the culture, media & sport select committee set up an enquiry into online regulation. If you start self regulating the internet, it will start being used for politics. For example, in 2010 China was accused of 'hacking' into google and regulating the image results of a protest in their country.

The future of film and television

They found out that audiences are less concerned about sex and more concerned about violence and drug taking.

Now, more films being passed at 18 are containing featuring explicit sexual scenes ('50 Shades of Grey').

So, what happens online impacts on what other content providers do- it's all connected.

ARGUMENT

Can the BBFC survive if content deems unacceptable?

New forms for interactive media will cause concern for the sensors of the future:

-In the domestic space, like TV/ DVD
-Popular with young people
-Level of 'interactivity' makes games and DVD's more dangerous

Future content will focus more on video games and interactive media, rather than films.

Legalisation will probably be needed to regulate the increasing fluidity between different media platforms.