Media blackout In Denial - 'TV-Turnoff Week' - FMA — Family and ...

Dear Member/Supporter,
I
hope this finds you well. Recent months have seen some notable successes for the work of the Family and Media
Association (FMA), more of which, later! We have also been continuing with the programme we outlined for you in
what was our last printed publication at Christmas.
This programme has included the making of a number of live presentations followed by question and answer
sessions, both for the general public and for groups like school bodies which have a special interest in the spiritual, social
and psychological effects of the media. If you would like us to give a talk in a school, parish or community centre in your
area, please contact us at the address opposite. Alternatively, you can email us at info@fma.ie or phone us at 01 2789288.
Our programme has also included making submissions to broadcasters and statutory bodies with regard to the impact
that particular media-related events and decisions have—or would have—on families.
Additionally, in recognition of the increasing significance of the Internet—as outlined for example by Pope Benedict
in his World Communications Day message for 2007—FMA has, thanks to the efforts of Miryam FitzGerald, begun to
monitor Bebo and other social networking sites. New media such as these are having a powerful impact on the lives of
young people.
In this regard, we have also continued to use FMA text and Internet services a) to inform a wide range of people—
and thus empower them—about family/media-related events and research and b) to present a family-centered scientific
analysis of the way these issues are covered (or not covered) by the mainstream media.
While recognizing the importance of new media, FMA has continued to employ more traditional means of
communication: In the early part of this year, FMA representatives gave a number of radio interviews, participated in
television discussions and wrote several articles and letters. A small sample of FMA’s letters has been included in this
publication which was designed and edited by Dónal O’Sullivan.
But, as I began by saying, recent months have seen some notable successes for FMA: We have been successful in
highlighting issues which would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the Irish Media or by statutory bodies, and this has
resulted, for example, in two significant changes to the BCI’s Code of Programme Standards which was released in April.
Notwithstanding this good news, there are, however, some very serious problems remaining with the code, one of which
you can read about on pages 1 and 2 on the other side of this publication!
More good news: two of our complaints were upheld by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (see pages 1,3 and
4, also on the other side of this publication) and there is a growing recognition of many of the media truths which FMA
has consistently brought to public and media attention over the years. One of these truths concerns the negative impact of
pornography on individuals and society in general (note for example the extensive special report on pornography by the
Irish Examiner in July, and several radio discussions, particularly on Newstalk). Another truth is the effect of alcohol
advertising, particularly on children—we hope to return to this issue in our next newsletter. Even the harm caused by onscreen
violence is beginning to be more widely recognised, and this recognition is leading to some action (in this context,
you may have heard of the Irish Film Censor’s recent surprising but welcome decision to ban a violent video game).
With every best wish from the members of the National Executive Committee—after the season’s washout, we hope
that we will all soon be enjoying an Indian Summer,
3
Ivo O’Sullivan
Chairman
A Light Has ‘Dawned’
DAWN EDEN brought some visible light into Irish radio waves this June. Ms Eden, a celebrated American
journalist, was in Ireland to speak at the Legion of Mary Catholic Youth Conference, but she also found time
to be interviewed by Ryan Tubridy on his morning radio show. Referring to her book The Thrill of the Chaste,
Ms Eden spoke in a refreshingly candid way about her discovery of the liberating power of chastity in her life.