Children and the Media [Paperback]

Throughout history the media has primarily been produced by adults, for adults, about adults. Increasingly, children have become a matter of high priority in the modern media society, and as they have, they have also become the subject of much concern. From debates in Congress about the detrimental effects of movies, comic books, and video games over the last century to efforts to court children as media consumers, there is a clear recognition that the media are not now and probably never were purely adult fare. Their impact on children is at issue.Preface Introduction Part I Overview  1. Symposium I Jana Eisenberg  In the first of four symposia of short observations on the intersection of children and media compiled by New York free-lancer Jana Eisenberg, six preeminent commentators share their thoughts: U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, Vivian Horner of Bell Atlantic, Ernest Boyer of the Carnegie Foundation, Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois and entertainers Shari Lewis and Art Linkletter.  2. The Moment of Truth Reed Hundt  Who better to reflect on the future of children and the media than the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission? Why focus on connecting our children to the potential of the communications revolution? he asks in outlining his goals in this area. Because any concept of a well-ordered society depends on raising our children to participate in public discourse, and that discourse will increasingly be through electronic means.   3. As I Told the FCC . . .   Yet Another Modest Proposal for Children's Television Peggy Charren  After a quarter-century, the founder of Action for Children's Television is anything but shy about telling the FCC what's wrong with commercial broadcasting for children. The record of those 25 years shows that in large part, commercial television has abdicated its educational responsibility and concentrated on its ability to amuse, she says. l*