September 2008 Newsletter

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• Highlights

  • New Name, Old Concerns
  • Media Matters — Survey 2008
  • the couch — Questionnaire
  • Seen and Heard; Children's Media Use, Exposure and Response — research report
  • Media Alert! Campaign against the 8.30pm Watershed
  • Become a Member - Subscribe to Media Matters
  
  

• New Name, Old Concerns

  After 15 continuous years of activism on behalf of the young people of this country for a better media climate and a reduction in the commercial exploitation for sex and violence, Viewers for TV Excellence (Vote) has changed its name.

  "Our organization is the only media advocacy group in NZ — after 15 years we need to widen our brief to take account of new technologies like The Internet, Video Games and Mobile Telephony.

  So we have resolved to become: "Media Matters in NZ (Incorporating Children's Media Watch)".

  John Terris, President, April 2008

  [ More ... ] (See full PDF file - 479kb)

• Media Matters — Survey 2008

  Few people would deny that the levels of violence, sex, drugs, and bad language on television are disturbing and too often unacceptable.

  So Media Matters needs your help to survey the opinions of television viewers.

  Please ask as many viewers as possible to complete our survey.

  Go to our Survey 2008 page and email us your answers using the link we've set up for you. Alternatively, print the survey and post us your responses (the address is printed on the survey form).

• the couch — Questionnaire

  

  Families Commission's website: the couch would like you to complete their questionnaire: Violence in the Media.

  Note, however, that to participate in polls and questionnaires on The Couch you need to sign up. This involves providing quite a lot of detail about yourself, and then reading and agreeing to their "Terms of Use".

  Having signed up, look for the section Latest Questionnaire.  If this isn't given as "Violence in the Media", then that survey has ended, though there may be some follow-up analysis on their "results" page.

• Seen and Heard; Children's Media Use, Exposure and Response

  Use the above link to access this major research study from the Broadcasting Standards Authority, launched 6 May 2008.

  Our printed newsletter includes a short report from Betty Gilderdale, Auckland, about this research.

• Media Alert! Campaign against the 8.30pm Watershed

  The Seen and Heard survey done for BSA — see item above — indicates that less than half of parents know that 8.30pm is the time when TV programmes that are not suitable for children start to screen.

  Get involved. Contact BSA  by email: info@bsa.govt.nz or write to BSA, PO Box 9213, Wellington.

  Say you want to have the Watershed put back to 9.30pm.

• Become a Member — Subscribe to Media Matters

  While we are full of ideas for more effective media advocacy, we are entirely dependent on the support of our members.

  Please be generous with your donations if you can and remember that the new Charities Commission act removes the current limit on tax exemptions for charitable donations.

  Thank you very much for your support.

  We could not keep going without it.