Report on a presentation by Dawnette Hinds-Furzer, Women’s Media Watch, Jamaica

Made at WACC Congress, 2008 in Cape Town

Women's Media Watch (WMW) began to advocate for a code in 1996. We started by writing letters to the editor contesting the broadcasting of content inappropriate for children at times when children primarily watched television.

In 1997 we began engaging the Broadcasting Commission – the regulatory organization – in dialogue. This led to the sensitization of managers so they would be able to view programmes through 'our' lenses. Many debates with media personnel ensued, persons who felt what we wanted was censorship.

Media roundtables were organized strategically by collaborating with the University of the West Indies MONA, Media Dept. CARIMAC, with the view of sensitizing media practitioners and other NGOs and community based organizations on issues of gender.

Out of this grew a course taught by WMW. More voices were now added to the call from many NGOs, faith based organizations, community based organizations and individuals.

The Children's Code for Programming was born in 2002 while implementation commenced three years later in 2005. In early 2007 public education begun regarding the use of the Code by the print media.

Elements of Children’s Code for Programming

The Children's Code has 3 broad elements.

The first is rating, that is, the assessment of the nature of problematic material in all programming. The degree of violence, sexual content and offensive language are rated.

The second is scheduling/ filtering, meaning, ensuring that programming is only transmitted to the appropriate audience, according to the type of problematic material it contains.

The third are advisories, that is, information about the nature and amount of problematic material in programme or channel. Advisories are presented as a written graphic and aurally as voice-over.

Lessons learnt

The journey to successfully lobbying for the Children's Code for Programme taught us of the need to be aware of the target audience, to offer alternatives in addition to critiques, and to consult with all relevant stakeholders at the very start of the advocacy process.

For more information on this experience, contact Women’s Media Watch Jamaica This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.womensmediawatch.org

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