Page Content
Koni Macdonald
Part 2 of 2
Broadcasters beware viewers are mobilizing against TV violence.
In 1991, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released a document entitled Scientific Knowledge about Television Violence. In the document, the CRTC reported, "...the right of the television public to programming that, without imposing artistic or economic censorship, can be viewed by the whole family, including young children, stands out clearly."
Since the report's publication, the CRTC has encouraged the broadcasting, cable and advertising industries to establish anti-violence codes and imaginative public education programs. In addition, the CRTC has commissioned studies on violence and met with American television producers and government officials, hosted public hearings, encouraged media literacy programs, exchanged information with anti-violence groups and lobbied broadcasters to cancel, or modify, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers."
Steps toward curbing TV violence
Technology: V-chip has power to censor
In March, the CRTC announced its support for a V-chip-based rating system that blocks violent programs. The device is designed to "help parents protect their children against excessive television violence." The chip is the brainchild of University of British Columbia professor Tim Collings.
The CRTC told broadcasters that the V-chip must be available to viewers by September 1996. However, problems have postponed distribution until January 1997.
Media literacy: Understanding TV violence
Media literacy programs are designed to help students understand techniques used by mass media and the effects these techniques have on our beliefs, values and behavior. Media literacy programs have been part of Alberta's language arts curriculum since the early 1980s.
Delegates attending the ATA's Annual Representative Assembly (1993 and 1996) endorsed policy urging the Department of Education to develop and implement media literacy programs in the K–12 curriculum.
In June, Alberta Education announced an integration of media and technology literacy into the Western Canadian Common Language Arts curriculum as part of the core program. Plans call for implementing the program in elementary and junior high schools in September 1998, and in high schools in 1999.
Alberta's Learning Resources Distributing Centre has resources on media literacy. Gina Vivone-Vernon, assistant director of humanities at Alberta Education, recommends the Media Literacy Resource Guide and Mass Media and Popular Culture by Barry Duncan.
Other resources are Health Canada's media literacy package Prime Time Parent (designed to help parents, educators and others hold workshops on the effects of television on viewers) and MediaWatch's kits (for teachers, parents and administrators on gender and violence in children's entertainment). Samples of these kits are available from the ATA library.
Taking action: Lobbying government and the TV industry
Heather-jane Robertson, Canadian Teachers' Federation PD services director, says teaching media literacy alone won't solve the problem. "Neil Postman called television 'the first curriculum' by which he meant that television's messages overwhelm the other messages we want to send children," says Robertson. "We try to protect kids by teaching them 'media literacy' but is 'media literacy' really the problem? I'm more inclined to think the problem is 'broadcaster irresponsibility'!"
To date, the CRTC has been inundated with complaints about television violence one petition had close to two million signatures. Lobbying for responsible and non-violent television is an option that teachers and parents may want to consider. Encouraging the development and/or sponsorship of prosocial programming may influence some industry and government decisions.
To voice your opinion about television violence, contact the Coalition for Responsible Television (CRTV) at 1-900-451-3664. The cost is $3 per call.
Pilot Elementary Schools Needed
Be the first to integrate Safe and Caring Schools curriculum
The Safe and Caring Schools curriculum-support-materials development team has completed the first draft of two of 10 modules for Kindergarten to Grade 3. We need pilot schools to test the curriculum materials.
To be eligible, a school must have at least Grades 1-3 (Kindergarten to Grade 3 is preferable) and at least one teacher from each of these levels in the school must agree to pilot the modules.
We are looking for a broad range of teacher experience, including beginning teachers, and a range of interest and expertise related to conflict management and violence prevention curricula.
The modules to be piloted are revised editions of the Lions-Quest program, "Working It Out." Unlike the Lions-Quest program, each module is specific to the grade level and to specified goals and objectives from the Alberta curriculum.
Inherent in these modules is the Lions-Quest philosophy that young people and adults can learn constructive and nonviolent ways to address the everyday conflicts in their lives. Research in this area has demonstrated that to be most effective, prevention programs must be integrated into all aspects of the curriculum, and the classroom and school culture must reflect the program values. These two components comprise the basis of the ATA's Safe and Caring Schools project.
Each module requires one full month to pilot. Completed feedback forms for the first module must be received at Barnett House by December 15, 1996. The second response for module two is due January 31, 1997.
If you are interested in participating, please forward all requests to Vicki Mather at Barnett House via fax: (403) 455-6481.
TV violence: Entertaining or training?
Valerie Smith, a parent and member of the Coalition for Responsible Television (CRTV), wrote to Ronald Cohen, national chair of the Canadian Broadcasts Standards Council (CBSC), to express her concern about two new series being launched this fall "Millennium" and "Profiler." In her letter, Smith referred to the links between TV violence and real-life crime and quoted convicted murderer Ed Gein who said: "What is entertaining for most is, for others, training."
Smith wrote: "The next time Canadian broadcasters start bleating about how dedicated they are to reducing violence on television, and that the BIG problem is the Americans, activists can tell the public the truth. 'What is entertaining for most is, for others, training.' And we can thank Canadian broadcasters for supplying the training."
