HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-12-11, Page 15Wouldn'
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Television biggest _culprit; •
commission urged to cut- SII violence in media •
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 1 , 1975
THIRD SECTION
BY SOPHIA' MARTYNI•:C
W1!' GHAM
ADVANCE -TIMES
Which utile, fir•stthe
chicken or the egg?
Or, in the case of the
LaMarsh Commission: is
violence in the media the
cause or the effect of in
creased violence in society?
This was the question
facing ' about 200 Wingham
andl„ area residents last
We'd'nesday evening when the
Royal Commission on
Violence in the Com-
munications Industry held its
eighth hearing in a series of
38 scheduled throughout the
province. •
A Ithq.u,gh most of the
speakers, and the three
members of .the. , LaMarsh
$
Commission,' indicated that
they 'consider violence in the
media the undoubted rause of
increased violence in society,
there were some dissenting
votes. One of these was cast
by Jim Currie of W ingham,
"Media is a reflection of
our society," Mr.. Currie said.
ffc explained his concern that
the majority opinion through
then evening seemed to focus
on the media, especially
television_ as the reusori"for
increased crime in- the
country: ""Television has
been made a whipping boy
here tonight."
Mr. .Currie said that the
prim.' responsibility 'for the
state of today's society, and
the first influence on the
children, belongs to.p.arents. '
"We do not meet our
GDCI s,fudents
•
tr.hligatiirns," he concluded, u
.ferry C'humyn, also o1`
Wingham; was the' other
dissenting_ voice 'of the
evening'. He said Violence in
the media is not "the root
cause'' -J of the Social
.phcnorgenon but the
"catalyst".
Mr. Chomyn ex ressed hitt
concern that pt. lie' opinion
suggested- ce sorshjp • of
violent shows s a .solution for
the problem':
"What's r )ing to be next -to
go?",he as ed.
• Scoft Young, .:who chaired
,the m eting Wednesday,
aSsurCMr. Chomyn that the
corn fission has, 00 precon-
ceiv 'd ridtions for censorship.,
e're not any red-hot
c nsors up here," Mr, Young'
He did admit, however, that
views aired hy.some speakers
, at the hearings did give an'
indication that censorship
was .not ..unacceptable to
many people. •
Mr. Young said the major
prob ern to' date is the lack of
alteinative programming.,
"lfv you don't. like the
violence, where do y,ou go?"
he explained.
The majority view of the six
briefs presented during, the
hearing, however, supported
the contention that violence in
the media -TS' indeed the
reason for increasing
vio'l'ence and"ci ime in society
"It's time•it were stopped, '
Mrs. Jocelyn Daunt of
Moles worth' told the corn-
niiss'ion. She .. presented a
brief on behalf of the
�.n�red' at assembly.
Molesworth Women's
Institute. recommending that
steps he taken soon to "cut
out a,ll violence in the media',
Th.e recorm mendat ions
included a pro`osal. that
television cameras swing
away when fights start during
hockey games or other
sports. The brief als'oi
suggested a' public boycott of
products advertised • during
the presentation of shows
characterised by violence.
The print media also
contributed, to the problem,
Mrs. Daunt said, citing
sadism i.n books and
maga'zine's and ,•sen-
sationalism in newspaper..,
reports of crime and violence
as examples.
"I wish they'd just tell what
happened," she said.
, r
ci
Mrs. Daunt, a „mother of
five children, told the corn
mission 'that her solution at
present is to turn off the
le'l' \ Ision'set.
"I c1c,n't have time to sec'
\a, hat ' my children„are
wring, ' she explained. ''Thee
hest thl'ng to do is to keep It
011
1The••,t view`15 were cilsc,
,~ Lipp Piled by a presentation
from the Bluevale•
\Vhiteehurch.Pastoral Board, -
'Mrs. Evelyn Demaray told
the commission that "lurid
dela ils' about crimes
rep(Irt((1 in the media
pro \ ided a blueprint -for
iol(•nt acts.
:')'ou just have to read and
watch common material on
the. media to learn to commit
crimes, she said.
'*r
She said that media is
"lavishing attention on e0il
and not giving equal time to
presenting a distort cd
Ie,', of the world.
Mrs I)4runt said the medics
is also contributing to a
orreipti,on of.ideals.
"Our children are in
crc';tsirlg'ly taking for granted
that people arc' expendable.
!hat the case j.usti'fies the
rued, or at l(,ast it will ;et
Lhen1 attention,” she added
' V1rs Genevieve Moore,
presenting a list Of recom-
mendations from the same
gt'oup.• se1ggestc'd a change in
the audience r'ating.system to
keep _'. good shows on•
television. She alai rec)m-
nrend'(.>d that viewers he
e aired sonic' -how about
(continued on page 8B)
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4"
`'!Vlarlanne Frayne (left) and -,_Wanda Liriner display a special award presented at Mon-
(lay's awards assembly to the entire student body. The award was to the cast of Brigadoon
and was given by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Temple of the Brig-O-Doon restaurant on The Square.
•I'he•presentation was for a terrific all-rouf"i"d effort by the. GDCI teachers and staff in
staging their first musical with•such community -wide acclaim. (staff photo)
•
Dave Redour was named the GDCI‘golf ,champion at
Monday morning's assembly. at, 'the ':school. Dave's
hrlother Don wasti previous 'winner of th' Fred Rouse
trophy' during .his years at GDCi. Don wort the trophy'
three tim�'s. (staff photo)'
Tlie Mark Barker IVlemorial trophy for the,mgst Valuable senior boys volleyball player
was presented Monday morning at the G1)C1 awards assembly to Jeff Baechler (left ). The•
,most valuable junior boys volleyball play er •this season was Ancjty Moore,(right ). (staff u
photo)
The most valuable girls' basketball players this season
were Betty Sowerby (left), junior girls, and, Chris Wildgen,
senior girls. The awards ,,were presented at Monday's
rw aids assembly w ith
ten(I.'rnce. (Staff photo)
T
the ehtir•i' student body in' at -
•
Live Yount; men shared`the'football honors at GDCI's fall
'wards assembly Monday morning. They are (back row,
left to right) Tim Mclean, who with Toni O'Keefe (left)
w ere the most valuable junior players, and Jim Van Osch
(centre), the most ca'Iuable junior lineman; (front row, left'.'
to, ,right) Gerry O'Brien, most valuable senior football
' player and Al Worgan, most'valuable senior lineman, (staff
photo)
s•