BBFC 1980s

• Development of the video recorder created new anxieties in home viewing of feature films
• There was legally no requirement that videos should be classified which meant that films which hadnt been approved or were only suitable for adults, were falling into the hands of children
• Tabloid press led a campaign against soc aled 'Video Nasties'
• There were 70 titles that had either been prosecuted by the DPP under the OPA or were awaiting prosecution
• The Video Recordings Act 1984 made it an offence for a video work to be supplied if it had not been classified or to supply a work to a person under the specified age in the certificate

• In 1982, A was changed to PG, AA was changed to 15 and X became 18
• A new category R18 was introduced which permitted more explicit sex films to be shown in members-only clubs
• Since the mid 1980s, R18 material is mostly released on video and is only available from a limited number of sex shops which must be licensed by local authoritie

BBFC 1970s

• The introduction of AA was finally approved be the industry and local authorities
• Principal changes to the cateogry system were raising the minimum age for X certificate films from 16 to 18
• The old A category was split to create a new A which permitted the admission of children five years and over whether accompanied or not
• The new AA certificate was for children over 14
• This would protect adolscents from material of a specifically adult nature and would permit more adult films to be passed uncut for an older, mature audience
• Recognised the earlier maturity of many teenagers by giving them access to certain films ar the age of 14, without being accompanied by an adult
• Indicated to parents the difference between films wholly suitable for children of all ages, which would be classified U, and those which whilst not generally unisuitable may contain some material parents would prefer their children not to see

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE

• Violence and terrorisation in the fim largely directed towards women was unacceptable.
• This lead to the unclassification of the film

BBFC 1960s

• Challenges to the Obscene Publications Act (1959) suggested a strong shift in public opinion

PEEPING TOM

• 'Morbid concentration on fear'
• Various cuts were suggested and the film was passed X in 1960 with cuts
• Film was greeted with a torrent of abuse and failed to please the public
• Video remained an 18 work until 2007 when it was reclassified and passed 15

BBFC 1950s

• 50s saw the end of rationing
• Emergence of 'youth' as a group with a defined identity and a target for consumer goods
• Controversial subjects on film were accomodated in the UK under ther new X category, incorporating the former advisory H category given to horror films. This was introduced in 1951

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

• As the growth of television ownership eroded the adult/family cinema audience, films like Rock Around the Clock (1956) drew in teenage audiences
• This was cut for U and caused rioting in cinemas
• It fuelled increasing concern about teenage criminality, although there was in fact no evidence of a teenage crime wave as suggested by the popular Press

BBFC 1912-1949

• At the time, the BBFC did not have any written rules or codes
• The policy evolved around practical lines, whilst seeking to reflect public attitudes
• In 1916, T.P.Connor was appointed president of the BBFC
• He summarised the board's policy by listing 43 grounds for deletion
• Some of these include cruelty to animals, nude figures, indecorous dancing etc
• In 1948, Arthur Watkins was appointed secretary to the board under the presidency of Sir Sidney Harris
• Together they formulated a new term of reference for the board based on 3 principles:

Was the story, incident or dialogue likely to impair the moral standards of the public by extenuating vice or crime or depreciating moral standards?
Was it likely to give offence to reasonably minded cinema audiences?
What effect would it have on children?

Case Studies

Which clauses of the Code are relevant to these cases?
Do you think that the Code of Practice was broken in any of these cases, if so why?
Could a public interest justification be made in any of these examples?

1. Clauses number 3(privacy) and 6(children) apply however the public interest can overide these. It      mentions that the PCC will consider the extent to which material is already in the public domain and the video was uploaded onto Youtube by the boy himself

2. Clauses number 3(privacy) and 6(children) apply however they were already in a public place and drawing attention to themselves. It does however seem unsuitable for a childs face of age 10 to appear in a lads magazine

3. Clauses 6(children) and 4(harassment) apply. The Code says 'journalists must not engage in persistent pursuit' and 'they must not persist in questoning, telephoning individuals'. It also says 'minors must not be paid for material involving children's welfare' and 'a child under 16 must not be interviewed on issues involing their own or another child's welfare'. There is clearly a breach of the code.

4. Clauses 1(accuracy) and 3(privacy) apply in this case. The Code states 'the press msut take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information and that 'everyone is entitiled to respect for his or her private and family life'. Even though the actress is in the public eye, she had not even told her family about the pregnancy.

5. Clause 5(intrusion into grief of shock) applies. The Code states ' approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion' and 'when reporting suicide, care should be taken to avoid excessive detail about the method used'. The photos show the woman standing on the ledge outside a window about to jump and another one during her fall therefore showing detail of the method used and therefore being in breach of the code. Also the fact that they were published before the woman's identity was announced shows there was little sensitivity towards family and friends

6. Clause 4(harassment) and 8(hospitals) apply. The code says 'journalists must not engage in persistent pursuit'. The journalist left messages and telephoned even after being told that the family would call him. The Code also says 'journalists must identify themselves before entering non-public areas of hospitals'. The journalist did not do this and therefore is in breach of the Code.

7. Clauses 3(privacy) and 10(clandestine devices and subterfuge) apply for this case. The Code states ' everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private and family life and home' and 'it is unacceptable to photograph in a private place'. This clause was breached as photos were taken within a private place. Also the journalists gave a misrepresentation this also breaches clause 10.

8. Clauses 3(privacy) and 5(intrusion into grief or shock) apply. It says in the Code that 'private places are public or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy'. The photograph was taken in the cathedral which is a place where one would expect privacy so therefore the code has been breached. The code also states that' in cases involving grief or shock, enquiries and appeoaches must be made with sympathy and descretion' which they were not.

PCC Code Of Practice

1. Accuracy
2. Oppurtunity to reply
3. Privacy *
4. Harrassment *
5. Intrusion into grief and shock
6. Children *
7. Children in sex cases *
8. Hospitals *
9. Reporting of crime *
10. Clandestine devices and subterfuge *
11. Victims of sexual assult
12. Discrimination
13. Financial journalism
14. Confidential sources
15. Witness payments in criminal trials
16. Payment to criminals *

PCC

WHY IS THE PCC IMPORTANT?

• In a democracy, the press should not be subject to stringent controls by law or by government. The PCC, protects against this possibility
• The PCC is committed to protecting the public by ensuring that when the rules are breached, it can put things rght as soon as possible.
• It is fast (dealing with a complaint in an average of 35 days)
• It is free (costs complainants nothing to use the service)
• It is fair (Commission is independent from the industry i was set up to regulate)

PCC

WHO COMPLAINS TO THE PCC AND WHAT DO THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT?

• The PCC accepts complaints from anyone who believes and article involving them breaches the code.
• A number of celebrities have used the PCC's service but most complaints are from ordinary people.
• In 2007, 1.5% of complaints came from people in the public eye but (95.8%) came from ordinary members of the public
• The majority of complaints are about regional newspapers

PCC

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE PCC?

• The PCC as set up in 1991 and replaced the Press Council
• During the 1980s, a small number of publications failed to observe the basic ethics of journalism and this led to many MPs losing confidence in the Press Council
• Some politicians believed that it would be preferable to introduce a new regulatory authority which would come under government control and would have the power to enforce legal punishments
• A report that followed did not recomment new statutory controls but proposed a new Press Complaints Commission
• A commitee of national and regional editors was set up and they produced a formal Code of Practice for the PCC to administer
• The Press Standards Board of Finance was set up to organise funding

PCC

HOW IS THE PCC FUNDED?

• The PCC is funded through a body called the Press Standards Board of Finance which is responsible for collecting money from newspapers and magazines in the UK
• The press has agredd that each newspaper or magazine should contribute an amount in proportion to the number of people who buy it and read it
• Members of the public do not have to pay for the serbice either directly or indirectly through their taxes
• The PCC does not recieve any money from the government

PCC

WHAT DOES THE CODE OF PRACTICE COVER?

• The Code of Practice has 16 sections and covers 4 main areas:

1. accuracy
2. privacy
3. news gathering
4. protecting the vulnerable

• An editor is expected to take responsibility for all the stories and photographs that appear in the publication and to ensure they comply with the code
• The code does not cover issues of taste and decency. This is because the PCC recognises that in a democratic society, newspapers must have the freedom to choose the style in which they publish material

PCC

HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?

• The system of regulation adminstered by the PCC is not a legal one or run by the government
• It is based on voluntary agreement and the newspaper and magazine industry to allow itself to be regulated by an independent body
• While the Code of Practice, is drwn up by a commitee of editors, the PCC itself has a clear majorit of public members.
• 10 out of 17 of the commissioners have no connection to newspapers and magazines. None of the PCC staff are connected to the industry

PCC

WHAT DOES THE PCC DO?

• The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is an independent body which deals with complaints about editorial content of newspapers and magazines in the UK, and their websites
• It administers a 16 clause Code of Practice which acts to the rules which editors and journalists must adhere
• The PCC investigates complaints from people who believe that the code has been breached - either in a published article or in the way the journalist obtained material. if their is a problem, the PCC acts as a mediator to resolve the dispute by way of a correction, apology or clarification
• If the problem cannot be settled, the PCC will assess the evidence and will issue a formal adjudication on the complaint.

Current film classification system

PROS

• People at must risk such as children are protected
• The information is clear to parents and so they can rate the films and choose what their children watch
• Local councils are responsible for screened films and can over rule a BBFC decision
• Guidelines are up to date and so can be changed to match current society

CONS

• Assuming people are the same and puts them under set categories
• Regulations are not enforced fully especially at cinemas
• Information needs to be more on offer for people to know about
• Unable to prove whether something will be harmful
• Borderline classifcations are then judged by matter of opinion

Do you think the way films are regulated is sensible, useful to society and achieves its aim of protecting the vulnerable and upholding the law?

I think the regulations are sensible and definately useful to society. Even though there is some doubt over whether they should be set out by age, this seems the most approachable and understandable method to use in order for people to understand what they can/cant watch. The guidlines are especially useful to parents as they are able to protect their children from watching films that are not suitable. However, the vulnerable aren't entirely protected as it is very easy to watch a film at a higher age rating than what is suitable for you and therefore i don't think the regulations are entirely achieving its aim fully.

Is there anything you think could be done to improve the system? 

The only improvement i would suggest to the system is more awareness of it. the BBFC website contains very useful information and goes into more detail than just plain guidelines. I think parents would benefit from knowing that the information is out there for them to see.

15--->18

1. Much more acceptable in a 15 than an 18
2. Sexual activity and nudity are accepted but still not explicit detail
3. Langauge can be very strong
4. Strong violence is permitted as long as it is not one of the exceptions

12A--->15

1. Strong threat and menane are permitted
2. Drug taking may be shown in a 15 but must not be promoted
3. No constraints on nudity in a non sexual way in a 15
4. Violence may be strong

PG---->12A

1. Drug reference can me mild but must still contain an anti drug message
2. Nudity allowed in a sexual content but must be brief
3. Sexual activity may also be breifly portrayed
4. More mature themes are acceptable
5. Violence can be moderate

U--->PG

1. Discriminatory language is allowed in a PG compared to a U but only with strict education or historical context
2. Violence can be slightly stronger bu still justified by context
3. More frightening sequences are allowed but still must not be prolonged
4. Sex references must still be infrequent and only natural nudity
5. There can be mild drug references in PG compared to  in U but they must contain a strong anti drug message

R18

The following is not acceptable:

• Any material in breach of the criminal law
• Material likely toi encourage an interest in sexually abusive activity
• The portrayal of any sexual activity which involves lack of consent
• The infliction of pain or acts whcih may cause lasting physical harm
• Penetration by any object associated with violence
• Any sexual threats, humiliation or abuse which does not form part of a clearly consenting role-playing game

18

The BBFC's guidelines will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likley in the following areas:

• where the material is in breach of the criminal law
• where material or treatment appears to risk harm to individuals or to others in society through their behaviour
• where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context

15

Discrimination - Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed

Drugs - Drug taking may be shown but must not be promoted or encouraged. Misuse of accessible and highly dangerous substances is unlikely to be acceptable

Horror - Strong theat and menace are permitted unless sexualised or sadistic

Imitable Behaviour - Dangerous behaviour should not dwell on detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised

Language - There may be frequent use of strong language. Strongest terms may be acceptable if justified by context. Aggressive/repeated use is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity - Nudity allowed in a sexual content but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non sexual/educational context

Sex - Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.

Theme - No theme is prohibited, providing the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds

Violence - Violence may be strong but should not dwell on detail on the infliction of pain or injury. Strong gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.

12A

Discrimination - Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed. Agressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unacceptable unless clealy condemned

Drugs - Any references to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be infrequent and not be glamorised or give instructional detail

Horror - Moderate physical and psychological threat permitted, providing sequences are not frequent or sustained

Imitable Behaviour - Dangerous behaviour should not dwell on detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised

Language - Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language must be infrequent

Nudity - Nudity allowed but in a sexual context must be brief

Sex - Sexual activity may be briefly portrayed. References should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Crude references are unlikely to be acceptable

Theme - Mature themes are acceptable, but treatment must be suitable for young teenagers

Violence - Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. No emphasis on injuries and blood but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by context. Sexual violence may only be brief and have strong contextual justification

PG

Discrimination - No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of or in educational/historical context. Discrimination which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable

Drugs - References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be mild or carry an anti-drug message

Horror - Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense.

Imitable Behaviour - No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of easily accessible weapons
                           
Language - Mild bad language only

Nudity - No sexual content, natural nudity

Sex - Sexual activity may be implied but should be infrequent

Theme - Nothing in the treatment of themes should condone acceptable behaviour

Violence - Moderate violence without detail may be allowed if justified by context

U

UNIVERSAL - SUITABLE FOR ALL

Discrimination - No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of

Drugs - No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless infrequent or educational

Horror - Scary sequences should be mild and brief. The outcome should be reassuring

Imitable Behaviour - No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on easily accessible weapons
                            
Language - Infrequent use of mild bad language

Nudity - No sexual content, occasional natural nudity

Sex - Mild sexual behaviour

Theme - Treatment of themes must be sensitive and appropriate for young children

Violence - Mild violence only, occasional threat