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Apologies have been made and investigations are being conducted over the recent live radio ‘stunt’ involving a 14-year-old girl being strapped to a lie detector while being quizzed about her intimate life.

Whatever the outcomes of this incident, however, the issue has highlighted a need for better policies and practices around children and young people’s involvement with the media.

Media influence on children has steadily increased as new and more sophisticated types of media have been developed and made available.

Kids benefit from the opportunities to listen, view or participate in discussions of social issues and to greater exposure to music and performance and entertainment. But they can also experience harmful effects of exposure to subtle or explicit messages related to their health, sexual and social development.

Gone are the days when kids were merely passive recipients of media that was strictly controlled and monitored by adults. Today, kids are the media. They are techno informed, active participants who tell me that they enjoy engaging with and using a range of mass media.

This rapid information and entertainment revolution is throwing up many new challenges – both technical and social – and we’re scrambling to keep up with the pace of change and how to deal with it.

For their part, broadcasters have a responsibility to provide safe environments that facilitate their participation. The Commission has recently written to commercial broadcasters and their industry association requesting that specific guidelines and protocols be developed for interaction with children and young people.

Given that children and young people comprise a significant market share of commercial audiences, these guidelines and protocols should promote and protect their dignity and wellbeing. Parental consent for a child’s involvement should never override a child’s right to refuse to participate.

It is heartening that the Australian Communications and Media Authority is examining whether there are sufficient safeguards in place in the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice for people who participate in live-hosted entertainment programs.
 
The Authority has said its own assessments indicate that there is emerging evidence that the current regulatory arrangements may not be keeping pace with industry practice and community standards and has called for public submissions for its investigation.

Like other citizens in the community, encouraging kids’ participation in public life such as the media should be promoted.

What is needed, however, are clear and stronger processes for guiding that participation so that children and young people have positive, rather than negative experiences.

Gillian Calvert
NSW Commissioner for Children and Young People

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