Media Studies
Media Regulation
“Changes in society have been reflected by changes in media regulation”, Discuss this view.
The changes in society have indeed been reflected by changes in media regulation. Some of the main regulatory bodies that can be found in New Zealand are the OFLC, (Office of Film and Literature Classification Video Game Rating System), NZ on Air, and the BSA (broadcasting standards authority). Are these the people who get to have control of other people's art forms and determine what the public eye should be consuming? New Zealand is one of the few countries that still have freedom of speech and allow the expression of media to be un-censored, in terms of having to obey many different guidelines compared to other countries such as Korea who is a communist country. On the 8th of May 2017, David Shanks became the chief censor of film and literature. He took over from Dr. Andrew Jack who was appointed in 2011 and stayed in the role for 6 years. In 2018 a law was passed in New Zealand where The Warehouse was not allowed to stock any publications with an age rating of 18+, there were concerns around the content from Grand Theft Auto therefore The Warehouse group removed it from their shelves.
Different examples have been shown where films or media have been edited because of some of the offensive or racist meanings that underlie within the forum. Disneys’ `Dumbo’, released on the 23rd of October 1941, was one of the first ‘kids/childrens’ movies to show an unprogressive reality on the way man viewed people of colour and the societal perspective on racism or how a minority should act. It displays the image of black crows mucking around and acting ‘stupid’ or ‘simple-minded’. This was how people of colour were depicted and the different perspectives people such as middle-aged white men (the creators of the movie) saw other men that did not possess the same skin qualities. This was then censored and has been taken out of the movie when watching on streaming platforms such as Disney+. A lot of controversies were brought up because of this, some people believed that it wasn't a major problem and that it was a stepping stone for us to learn from our mistakes, while others saw it as offensive, which it was. Another example of a Disney movie that presented racist tones was ‘Song of the South’, released on the 12th of November 1946. It was a movie set during the reconstruction era, the acceptance of coloured people was far from coming true but was still a possibility. It is a movie that has been long condemned for its shameful stereotype depictions of African Americans, and the way it conveyed slavery and plantations in a ‘cheery’ light.
The recent Black Lives Matter movement that has taken place in this generation has had a massive impact on the censorship of current media and what is seen as offensive and appropriate. Society has taken history and the media have shown from it to create a more politically correct environment. My argument for that would be posing the question, how are younger generations going to stop themselves from making the same mistakes. Everything is being censored or edited where blatant parts of our cultural heritage and back story are being ignored or quite literally ‘cut out’. There is no way for people to be aware of the truth that really happened. In 1974 Stuart Haul came up with the active audiences theory which argues that audiences do not just receive information passively but are actively involved, subconsciously. People are coming into an era where there are media thrown at them but in all realness, this theory backs up the perception that we intake everything whether we realize it or not.
The consumption of media has changed drastically in the last century where before parents could see what their children were watching. Through the introduction of the internet in 1983, people have had access to a new world. At present, there are over 4.72 billion internet users across the world, more than 35% of internet users are aged between 25-35, and around 20% are aged from as young as 10-25. According to common sense media, a majority of 53% of kids aged 11 own their own smartphone or portable device and 69% have a fully functional phone and laptop by the age of 12. The proliferation of media devices has taken over and parents or guardians have less control over what younger people are absorbing, hence why streaming platforms and online websites such as Youtube and Disney+ are trying to come up with ways to cater to younger minds by offering kids lock or other boundaries so that children aren't able to open random videos or images that may be harmful or inappropriate. Unfortunately because of the world that we live in, people are growing up with this kind of technology and now the kids know more than the adults and it's the child having to put the safety lock on for themselves. If they know how to turn it on they know how to turn it off.
The media effects theory created by Marshall McLuhan exclaims how everything has a direct or indirect meaning whether it is apparent to the audience or not. The teen drama ‘13 Reasons Why’ directed by Tom Mccarthy is an example of a show with a direct message that can be sought out by some audience members within a certain age range. It shows a storyline of how a young girl commits suicide and blames many people, leaving audio messages explaining the wrongdoing they had done. It was first released on the 31st of March 2017, it debuted on Netflix for the first time without an age class or rating, the show is widely available throughout the world but has been classified R18 in New Zealand because of the graphic problems that occur in the shows, things such as sexual assault and abusive nature. Consumers were sending in complaints as well as mental health associations and bodies saying that the series glorifies suicide and could prompt copycats. The classification's reasoning was that while young people still had access to watch it was recommended/required that any persons 18 and over had to be there for support from an adult. Although the show is hard-hitting and shows problems that are widely spread amongst the world, should it really be classified or thought of as ‘inappropriate’? Yes, it is a thing that young people shouldn't have to worry about or be exposed to at a young age but on the other hand, it helps to raise awareness for these types of situations and prevents it from happening to more people.
The argument now is if things such as social media should be regulated or censored as it is supposed to be platforms of free speech and the expression of thoughts. Donald Trump was recently banned from using Facebook and Instagram because of some of the comments that he was making, it was said that after 2 years his accounts would be reinstated. Should this be another thing that has to be regulated as posts are made? We are entering an age where it is deemed ‘acceptable’ to post crude photos of yourself or your body. An example is how pornstars use the platforms to promote themselves or encourage people/minors to watch. New websites have been released such as only fans that appeared in 2016 and now have over 70 million registered users, compared to Facebook which has 2.85 but was over a time period of 17 years years, having been released in 2004. In comparison to using free platforms, things such as only fans trick young people into paying for crude imagery or live videos. In the short span that it has been around the streaming website has already made over $2 billion from creator profits.
Another example of regulation amongst media is the banning of the video game Manhunt, released on the 18th of November 2003. In 2004 'Manhunt', which uses extreme violent imagery, was the first-ever video game to be completely banned in New Zealand. It was banned by the chief sensor at the time Bill Hastings Manhunt, which was to sell for $109.95. It allows gamers to play the character of Cash, a man on death row who escapes execution but who is forced to take part in a snuff movie. It was a massive blow to Rockstar games, which also produces the Grand Theft Auto game series, which has also brought up questions from audience members and concerned parents. In 2019, another video game was banned in New Zealand after it was released after the Christchurch mosque shooting that killed 51 Muslims and wounded dozens. This is because of the graphic way it imitated and "glorified" the mosque shooting and Halle attack. Both were broadcast live on social media and both shooters released related hate-filled documents described as manifestos. Both videos and manifestos are now illegal. This also relates to the regulation of social media and what should be allowed to be viewed by the public. At the time, anyone with a device could join the live stream of the men killing lives. Parents and the owners of those types of social platforms should have certain rules and guidelines that need to be met before something is allowed to be live-streamed or publicly viewed.
Many different media sources are becoming banned in China because it is seen as offensive or to be attacking the government or people in a higher power. The movie 'Coco', released on the 27th of October 2017, was originally not going to be shown or allowed in China because it was a movie about the dead and after-life which is not allowed in their country, but after being reviewed by different critics it was allowed to be streamed after the people who judged it came away crying from how touching the movie was. Another example is when 'The shape of water was released, China took the movie and censored it because it showed nudity. They edited a black tube dress onto the character to cover her body. 'The interview' is a classic showcase of how China went to so many lengths to have the film not even showcased in ANY country because of how much it attacked the government and their leader Kim Jong-un. They threatened the production companies and hacked their systems in order to remove the movie.
In my opinion, things are becoming too censored where we no longer know whether you are seeing the original or if someone has gone before you and decided what was suitable for you to take in. Shouldn't that be the decision of the individual? Shouldn't we be allowed to determine what we can handle and what we would rather not expose ourselves to? This is a common problem that can be seen as very controversial to many people, whose job it is to ‘protect’ our minds. Is it the job of the producer or the big conglomerates that release the films? The era of linear TV is going into extinction so we as a population should start keeping up with the change and putting it upon ourselves to sift through the media finding what we like and what we don't, what our kids should be watching, and what they shouldn't. So many social issues are being conveyed in today's current time but when does the blocking come to a stop, we should be our own editors rather than leaving it up to another person, how does one individual determine what is right for an entire nation, when is the right time to put down the scissors. New media comes and goes and the film will forever be evolving but when do we come to a point and say “that's enough”, where does it really end.
