Good Media

HELP FOR PARENTS!
Andrea Rock, contributing editor

Last month, we touched upon the role of media, and particularly television, in our children’s lives. This month, we’ll look at one organization that is working mightily to help parents manage their children’s media choices, and that is the Parents Television Council. Founded in 1995, the PTC is a grassroots organization that now numbers over one million members nationally. It helps us in a number of ways, as you may see by going to www.parentstv.org.

  1. TV and Film Reviews: They record and review for content, all primetime broadcast TV, and many films that are raged G or PG. Their “red light, green light, yellow light” reviews will help inform parents about the content of these shows and films.
  2. Columns: There are both regular and occasional columns on a variety of concerns for parents.
  3. Research Studies: The PTC periodically does in-depth studies on areas of interest for us, and includes both the in-depth results for those with time to read them, and summaries of those studies for those on the run!
  4. Action Aids for Parents: The PTC lists the contact information for sponsors of television so that parents who wish to contact them, to complain about inappropriate programming or praise them for excellent programming, may do so easily. They also provide a direct connection to the FCC for those who want to make a formal complaint.
  5. Action Center: A section highlighting formal campaigns undertaken by the PTC, such as Cable Choice and Video Violence.
  6. Grassroots Chapters. The heart and soul of PTC, these are local chapters led by concerned folks, who work with the PTC on the issues of most concern to them.
  7. E-alerts will inform you of important issues and call you to action, if you choose to take it, to contact the FCC or an advertiser, or your elected official.
  8. The Insider is a monthly newsletter with more in-depth reporting.

This is a wonderful organization that helps not only to educate us on what is on TV for our children, but more importantly, gives us tools to do something about that which we dislike. It is critical that we get past our worrying or, yes, our complaining, about media’s negative influence, and take action for positive change. The Parents Television Council is the place to start!

This column will periodically highlight other organizations that help parents with media. We welcome your suggestions of any that you’d like us to consider!