Morally Offensive Content and the

Juvenile

Morally offensive content

The World’s Most Lucrative Business

Pornography

Women Against Pornography

National Organization for Women

Pornography is the major form of sex education for adolescents, delivering ideas about the nature of femininity, masculinity and relationships. This pervasive normalization of sexual harm directly contributes to our cultural acceptance of violence against women, and we must organize to reclaim our culture.

Child Pornography

Obscenity Obscenity

Supreme Court ruling: Miller v. California (1973)

Three conditions established with Miller

Ethical Issue of Porn and Internet access

Practice of Journalism

“Telecrudeness”

Richard Wald:

“There is no such thing as a totally inappropriate news story. The problem is to figure out how to tell it.”

Federal Communication Council (FCC)

History of regluations

1970 – Jerry Garcia

1975 – George Carlin

21st Century Censorship

NCAC

Shock and Awe with Images

The use of photos and newsreel that contains graphic or disturbing images

Is it newsworthy?

Teleological perspective

Reaction of audience and consequences for family

Shock value

Justified via rules of good journalism

Case for Moral Limits

Liberty – limiting principles

Harm

Paternalism

Moralism

Offense

And the theories say. . .

Deontologists

Object to publication of offensive material

Acknowledge right to freedom of expression

Consequentialists

Evaluate effects of the content

Virtue Ethics

Golden mean

Allow reasonable control

Cultural Paternalism

Juvenile justice system

Prohibits child porn, child labor laws, establishes legal age for buying alcohol and getting married with parental consent

Age of majority

John Locke, “On Liberty”

“this doctrine meant to apply only to those beings in the maturity of their faculties.”

Influences & the Juvenile Audience

Movies

Movie ratings

MPAA: created 1968, revised by FTC in 2000

Movie content and the actions of youth

Recordings

FCC regulations

Television

Ethical dilemma between artistic freedom and responsibility

Advertising

“Cradle to grave” campaigns

History of regulations

National Assoc. of Broadcasters

Action for Children’s TV

Congress

Guidelines for Child Advertising

Avoid high pressure

Do not attempt to mislead

Separate premiums from product

Exclude antisocial behavior

Avoid weasel words

Delineate between program and advertisement

Case Study Assignment

Review case 11 – 1 on page 362 before Thursday class

We will use class time for the Case Study portion