Our manifesto 2004
The Problem
Many people in Britain, especially parents and schoolteachers, are deeply concerned about the moral 'meltdown' in the media, particularly in broadcasting and on the Internet. Its destructive influence is contributing substantially to the breakdown of marriage and family life in the UK and to the increase in violent and sexual crime.
There is an ever increasing range of films, videos, TV and radio programmes, plays, computer games, books, magazines, music, adverts and internet web sites which masquerade as 'realistic', 'harmless' or 'entertaining' . Yet they feature brutal violence, explicit sexual activity - including perversion - nudity and all kinds of bad language. Incredibly, nearly all of this is condoned by the regulatory bodies; films and videos are merely classified, broadcasting licences are readily granted to TV channels despite programme content, and the other material is published or shown with impunity.
Official Inaction
Despite public outcry, the appropriate authorities have put up little resistance to such highly offensive and degrading material. In the particularly powerful medium of films and broadcasting, the British Board of Film Classification, the Independent Television Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Commission have failed abysmally in their duty to maintain decency. In the face of such inaction, the police should have been able to act under the obscenity laws, but the laws' wording has proved so ineffective that they now are used to restrain only the most extreme forms of obscenity.
Sadly, the Crown Prosecution Service repeatedly refuses to take to court appalling material which would have been prosecuted 10 years ago, on the grounds that nowadays it would fail to obtain a conviction under the Obscene Publications Act. Strong and clearly defined obscenity laws are urgently needed for the sake of the emotional, physical and social health of our nation. Private Members' bills on this subject have been unsuccessful, and tragically, successive governments have lacked the political will to take direct action themselves. They continue to give the 'green light' to the huge financial interests behind the media industry, both here and abroad.
Time for Grass Roots Action - in 2004
Whilst there is still time, ordinary citizens of this democratic nation must demand that the media be reclaimed for our children and our society. Despite the numerous public bodies that have spoken out over past years, the situation continues to deteriorate. We therefore call on concerned members of the public, of all faiths or of no faith, young or old, of all cultures, to join together and to provoke the political will of Parliament to strengthen Britain's obscenity laws. Let the government and all political parties be absolutely clear that we will not sit idly by while our children, our families, our society and our cultures are corrupted and stolen from us. Now in 2004, OFCOM (the new 'umbrella' media regulatory body) has made it clear that, whatever the regulations finally decided on for its own Content Standards code, the 'good taste and decency' principle has been abandoned by them already. Verbal and written representations at all levels will continue to be made by mediamarch. However, this situation is now so grave that we all have no alternative but to heighten the level of public protest at every possible opportunity.
This peaceful protest movement, called mediamarch, was founded in 1999.
The more the 'silenced majority' of ordinary people spread the word, the greater the impact we will together achieve.
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