That's not entertainment

The Imus firing and now an FTC report on visual violence reveal the need for more industry self-regulation.

from the April 17, 2007 edition

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Americans saw a good example last week of the entertainment industry regulating itself. After listening to critics, advertisers, and its own employees, CBS fired radio host Don Imus for his recent racist and sexist jab. Now, if only more media executives could display such courage.

Mr. Imus himself may yet learn from his mistake and restart a chastened career elsewhere. And CBS might have learned that forgoing profits for the sake of conscience will pay it a different kind of dividend – in public goodwill.

Media executives worry about "crossing the line of acceptability," and they gave another example recently by punishing a Hollywood movie, "Captivity." The film, due out in May, depicts the violent torture and death of a young woman. Its ad campaign was so gory that the Motion Picture Association of America demanded it be stopped. The industry group also suspended the film's rating process, leaving it unrated and thus with fewer theaters willing to run it.

It's difficult to tell if such self-regulation reflects an embrace of good values or the fear of a government crackdown. Congress, responding to parents unable to contain their children's exposure to raunchy, racist, or violent media, keeps threatening action. So far, it has mainly put pressure on the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to watchdog the industry.

Last week, for instance, the FTC issued a report on selling media violence to children. Since its last report seven years ago, the FTC found the industry has made limited progress in protecting young people under 17 from violent content.

As a result, the FTC wants more industry prohibitions and sanctions on "target marketing" of violent media to children, better self-regulation at the retail level, and greater help for parents in using ratings and labels.

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