Finale....Not Final E

Broadcast indecency was an interesting topic to write about and I do not regret choosing it, but I do feel that I could have chosen a topic more educational, more concrete. Though not very factual, writing on this topic has made me more aware of the indecency in this country. By becoming more aware of the indecency, I have come to understand the affect broadcasts have on people and thankfully that there are people in this country who care about those effects. While writing my blogs the wonder of how people will sacrifice their values for money has disturbed me regularly. Then I thought too that this has been a problem for people since forever, and I wonder why it surprised me in the first place. I have been studying my topic for months now, and the most important thing I have learned is not to take things for face value. If I could give a word of advice to anyone who reads this is not to take things for what they appear to be. Interpret what you are experiencing and try your best to form your own opinion.

If I needed to pick one blog that I like most, I would have to say it is the poem I wrote. I feel that it encompasses much of my opinion in a short few lines and out of all of the blogs it is the best written. One can always do better, if I were to do one thing better while writing these blogs, it would be to work more regularly. I allowed for multiple assignments to build up, then while writing them I would not write in depth like I may have wanted to.

I feel that writing blogs over the internet was a convenient and technologically advanced way of completing assignments, it allowed for access to my account from really anywhere. Though access to my account was easy, writing comments was somewhat hard. Logging on and surfing people’s accounts was a little hard to remember and I never really got around to it. When I did read other’s blogs though, I found it very interesting. Blogs allowed for me to discover other’s opinions; by doing so, in a way I was able to get to know people better. Though leaving comments was somewhat difficult all was not so complicated. Writing self evaluations I feel was the easiest part of this project. Realizing where I was standing in my project was simple because the information was right in my own mind. I did not need to go and find any sort of information. Self evaluations were simple, easy and never took much time.

I am happy that I studied broadcast indecency. By doing so, I have become more aware of some of the problems in this country. By becoming aware of problems, I can now try to determine how to overcome troubles I will face in the future.

Is a mere fine enough?

In Cheryl Howard's article Airwaves echo sounds of indecency, he states his opinion that fines for broadcast indecency is “merely a slap on the wrist” and that certain broadcasts are violating the privacies of the American people. He feels that more strict penalties are needed in order to bring an end to broadcast indecency, as he says, “Yes, the first amendment was written to ensure that no governmental body shall pass any law abridging freedom of speech, forbidding censorship. But there should be some limitations to freedom of speech. Limitations should be mandated when such freedoms impose and invade the rights and privacies of the public….. Broadcasters are to be held accountable for what they air. When licensing renewal time comes around, the FCC has the authority to renew or suspend a broadcasters license…. We, the people, have a right to turn on our radios and not be subjected to deliberate violations of public decency.”

I was somewhat surprised to find that there were not many opinion articles on broadcast indecency. I did come across one though where the opinion it encompasses is somewhat similar to my own. I felt that this was a good article to review because the author seems well informed on the topic, his opinion is not too radical and he observes both sides of the broadcast indecency controversy.

Fewer Complaints

In 2005 the number of complaints for indecency on television decreased substantially from the first quarter of the year to the next. In the first quarter of the year the FCC received 157,016 complaints. In the second quarter, the Commission received a mere 6,161. It is not known exactly why the numbers were so few in the second quarter than in the first, but something changed from one quarter to the next.

By Andrew Raff on September 30, 2005

Some steps are being taken.

On May 18^th, 2006, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that would increase the maximum fine that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could impose for violating its standards for decency from $32,500 to $325,000. This unified congressional push came as major networks began suing the government's authority to police the airwaves. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m, when children are most likely to be in the audience, the FCC does not allow broadcast of sexual material, excretory nature or material known as, "patently offensive" to air on radio and or television, such as ABC and Fox television and AM and FM radio stations. The agency though does not regulate cable, satellite radio and television programming, such as shows on XM Satellite Radio, MTV, ESPN and HBO. After the incident where Janet Jackson’s breast was reveiled in the 2004 Super Bowl, the FCC moved swiftly to fine 20 CBS stations the then-maximum fine of $27,500; a total of $550,000 was fined. ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and more than 800 affiliated television stations sued in federal court to overturn several FCC indecency rulings proposed in March, 2006.

I was happy to discover that there is some sort of consequence for indecent broadcasting. I do no think that it is necessarily a good thing to censor what is on the TV, but perhaps if the content was just not present than maybe this world would or could be a better place. I feel that it is a good thing the FCC is trying to keep as many inappropriate shows off of the air while children may be watching. They cannot terminate the shows but they can regulate them and try to make the best out of bad content. I thought it was a large indication that something is going wrong with American broadcast when the Senate unanimously approved a bill that would increase the maximum fine for broadcast indecency. Senators are some of the most influential people in this country, in truth it is people like them whose opinions have much significance in this country. Increasing the fine for broadcast indecency was an act that needed to be committed. A thirty thousand dollar fine for multi billion dollar industries is just not enough to compel them to change their ways. They have too much to loose. They get fined 30,000 and make 3,000,000, what do you think they will choose? Though they can afford the fines, it is evident that they do not want to get charged any money. Like most people do, the broadcasters filed a law suit. In my opinion why even file a law suit? Is it really worth the trouble?

Poem

Sex as if it is not private,
violence as if it is right.
Just because we have grown immune to it,
does not mean it is alright.

We watch willingly in horror;
actions most would never think to act.
But they are becoming more like a mirror,
and to them we are beginning to react.

Why do we surround ourselves
with what we know in our hearts is wrong?
To me works of the devil seem,
so prominent, so strong.

By Melissa Nelson

Survey

I conducted a survey that asked if media had an influence on America and American individuals. I also asked whether or not they felt that the amount of violence in media was too excessive. Without surprise eight out of ten agreed that media influence is prominent here in America, and many thought that the violence in this influential media was too excessive, but one concept revealed itself more than once. Some thought that though the violence in the media was frequent, it was used only when needed and in a controlled manor.
The results I got for this survey are what I thought they would be. I knew that some people wouldn’t feel the same way that I do about this topic, but that can only be expected.

Debate On Media influence

Everyone can agree that there is violence in the media, there is no way to deny it. But is that violence influential to the viewers? This is the question that has many people in contemplation.

Some people, such as I, strongly believe that the content in the media influences human behavior. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may become "immune" or numb to the horror of violence, gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems, imitate the violence they observe on television and identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers. (source: www. aacap.org) As children we observe our surroundings, this is how we grow. If the fertilizer is poison, then what will the plant look like when it is all grown?

While some believe that violence in the media influences violent behavior, others feel that it does not. Looking at video games in particular, some think that there is not a correlation between game violence and real violence. They feel that the research that has been conducted for this subject is insufficient. (www.videogamevoters.org) In truth they do not want to see what is truly happening. The thought of humans being violent, greedy, possessive, conniving, jealous prideful, hateful, beings is unconceivable.

Getting hard evidence that there is correlation between media violence and real violence is hard to accomplish. But if one had any common sense they would realize that the things we associate ourselves with have an effect on our being.

If you do not think that media influences human behavior, put two and two together, use your brain. Just as your voice sounds like your siblings, your behavior mimics your surroundings; this form of copy cat is how we have learned to survive.