In September last year we reported to members that "The NZ Law Commission has recently issued a report on the future of media regulation, ('The News Media meets 'New Media': Rights, Responsibilities and Regulation in the Digital Age').
This was a report requested by former Minister Simon Power in which he referred to some media as being a sort of Wild West, without law and without restraint of any kind. His concern relates to what is termed the Blogosphere, and also to activities such as cyber-stalking, and Internet pornography.
We regard this as an excellent initiative, since it seeks to address many of the issues which we have been calling for a consideration of for the past several years. Indeed the term "Wild West" was originally coined by us in a submission on the subject to a seminar hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage in 2009.
It has taken the recent spectacle of rape of under age girls being celebrated on the Internet, to finally move the government into gear, but last week, praise be, our Government, while desperate not to upset the media as the Election approaches, finally mustered the courage introduced into Parliament, legislation to regulate the Internet.
This is known as the Harmful Digital Communications Bill 2013
This is not a party political observation. The Labour government was just as weak and craven before the media lobby, which does not want any regulation to interfere with its right to make large sums of money through the exploitation of sex and violence for fun and profit (theirs).
It has taken us as a country a long time to recognise that our limp-wristed approach to Media, has resulted in the growth of a culture where the rape of children can actually be publicly celebrated, and the perpetrators can go unpunished. It's a disgrace but it's happening, and it's happening in our country right now!
It is, of course, the proliferation of alcohol in the hands of children too young to handle it responsibly, which is at the root of all this social mayhem. Our legislators have reaped the whirlwind resulting from their decision earlier this year, not to lift the age at which kids could legally procure alcohol.
Moana Mackey
Carol Beaumont
Jan Logie
Melissa Lee
Richard Prosser
Steffan Browning
Alfred Ngaro
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
You may well ask.
These are some of the people who voted in favour of more booze for youth.
You have never heard of them, because they are List MPs, and you never will.
They are Party people, responsible to no group of electors, but they will come and go from Parliament with no other legacy than that they have inflicted unaccountable damage on our society by allowing children continuing access to cheap booze.
They are thus directly responsible for creating a society where judgements kids make, under the influence of alcohol, can ruin their lives and the lives of those around them.
... against the growing media morass of sex and violence.
We are fighting a lone battle against ignorance, stupidity and greed at the highest levels of our society.
Media Matters in NZ is the only organisation exclusively devoted to this end and we cannot continue without your support.
Needless to say we get none form any community organisations, let alone the Government.
Our only financial source is your annual subscription. We therefore greatly appreciate that support.
JOHN TERRIS
Media Matters President
Email: jterris@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.viewers.org.nz/
Postal: 55 Queen’s Grove, Lower Hutt