Previously I have explored two media companies, the BBC and 20th Century Fox. Both companies primarily from different parts of the media industry, 20th Century Fox; film and BBC; TV and Radio (broadcast). I will use these two companies and the different properties of them to explore the ethical and legal constraints, issues and sensitivities that are faced by both the film and broadcast industry.
Firstly I want to look at the BBC; an ethical and legal issue within the BBC is appropriateness of content, ethically the BBC is governed on what it can show and at what times. Legally the governing bodies of TV (OfCom) have put into place a watershed to when certain shows can and cannot be shown.
The watershed in the UK is between 21:00 and 5:30, this means that during these hours of the evening, night and early morning the content of TV/radio shows could become more adult orientated. This can include, sex, drugs, violence etc. and is therefore not suitable for younger viewers. For the BBC and all broadcasting companies this can really limit an audience as well as limit the possibilities for the program. On the BBC website it also describes that the watershed should not mean an abrupt change in content and the maturity of the program should gradually increase as the night deepens with more exposing adult themes being at the latter of the schedule. If the watershed is broken OfCom take action on the broadcaster; since 2003 OfCom have taken action on over 300 broadcasters regarding inappropriate content and the time it was broadcast. One example of this is when Rihanna’s S&M music video was broadcast early afternoon, pre-watershed.
The BBC has also come into trouble with some of their scheduling, this is normally due to a mass of complaints from viewers which is then investigated by OfCom, in the most part the BBC seem to get off scot free without having to pay any charges or face any other consequences. OfCom made an investigation into the nudity pre-watershed in the New Year opening episode of Sherlock ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’, when over 100 people complained, 19 to OfCom itself. A rape storyline in Downton Abbey caused controversy, as 244 viewers made a complaint to Ofcom regarding it, however ITV and OfCom were able to disregard the accusation due to the pre-show warning and the show being broadcast after 9pm. This is an example that shows when you do stick to the laws of broadcasting serious action can be avoided. A current example of TV that is currently under investigation is Channel 4’s, UKIP: The first 100 days after receiving over 5000 complaints from viewers. OfCom are looking into whether it breaches privacy, fairness and offensiveness of content guidelines. Furthermore the BBC received complaints about Rita Ora, who was wearing a low-cut dress on The One show whilst promoting her show The Voice. The BBC came under fire from over 400 viewers for the pre-watershed showing of potentially explicit content regarding partial nudity.
Finally a story which has led to a lot of controversy in the news and within the BBC most recently is concerning ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. After punching a producer on set when he could not get a hot meal, Clarkson was suspended from the show and after an investigation into the incident the BBC decided that they would not be renewing his contract, leaving the show at an abrupt end. Jeremy has been a big controversial issue to the BBC for many years in which led to him being put on his final warning in 2014 when he was caught using thee N word whilst reciting a nursery rhyme. Although this was re-shot and the original not broadcast, it caused the BBC to put Clarkson on his final warning. The latter incident exhibited just where the BBC stands on certain ethical and legal issues, and how they would not tolerate this type of behaviour.
One of the big ethical considerations in both Film as well as TV is how gender is represented. The Film industry, companies and directors have to be careful to represent both genders correctly and fairly. Gender equality is a big thing within government at the moment and laws have been passed regarding the equal treating of both genders and the discrimination of a certain sex.
With any film company consideration has to be taken to how both men and woman are represented in films, as well as within the company. 21st Century Britain is very different to how it was decades ago and the way genders and also religions are portrayed within the media produced has to be taken into careful consideration. Challenging stereotypes is a current issue in which the media industry is being encouraged to step up and take action for. Gender is a big issue in the film industry, with shocking facts coming out that the amount of male actors is over double that of female, with male actors taking up almost 70% of the named or speaking roles in films. This is one big problem in the film and media industry as this is such an unfair unbalance of gender ratios. Some of the social and ethical issues this raises are to do with the cementation of stereotypes and a representation of male domination and woman being used as sex objects. If you were to simply watch one James Bond film you would start to understand this unfair representation. Bond being the main character has dominance over the woman he meets, seducing them and then letting them die like they’re an object of his desire and the world revolves around him. Many people are starting to challenge the images of gender that are created through films; the feminist movement is one of the groups doing this.
Not only are there less female actors but those female actors who do make it big still don't get the same recognition as men do. In research from 2012/2013 it was discovered that the highest paid female actor (Angelina Jolie) in an average year earns $33 million whereas the highest paid male actor (Robert Downey Jr.) earns $75 million. With the legal acts implemented in the last decade, like the Equality acts which became law on the 6th of April 2011. This means a few things for film companies like 20th Century-Fox, firstly how both men and women are treated in the workplace as well as how they are employed and represented in films.
The representation of religious beliefs can be even ropeier than gender and film studios can get into a lot of trouble for representing a culture and its beliefs incorrectly. For example in the film 'Hollywood Buddha' there was a lack of sensitivity towards the religious beliefs and symbols which Buddhists hold in reverence, resulting in the production company (YBG Productions) getting in some tribulation for the film.
The laws put into place for gender equality don’t seem to take too much significance in influencing the way 20th Century-Fox makes or distributes films. Films like James Bond, although not by 20th Century-Fox, goes to show the lack of impact these rules seem to have on films and the sexism within them. However a main character in M was played by Judi Dench, a position once played by a man, which shows a level of progress within the films. When I simply scroll through a list of 20th Century Fox films you can see from the off that the films are mainly male character orientated, for example; X-Men, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Lets be Cops and Night at the Museum, just to name a few.
In conclusion these handful of issues are just a few of the many different ethical and legal issues, which are raised within the media industry. There are many more issues and sub-issues, however these few are ones which I feel stand out and are some of the most important in each industry.
Firstly I want to look at the BBC; an ethical and legal issue within the BBC is appropriateness of content, ethically the BBC is governed on what it can show and at what times. Legally the governing bodies of TV (OfCom) have put into place a watershed to when certain shows can and cannot be shown.
The watershed in the UK is between 21:00 and 5:30, this means that during these hours of the evening, night and early morning the content of TV/radio shows could become more adult orientated. This can include, sex, drugs, violence etc. and is therefore not suitable for younger viewers. For the BBC and all broadcasting companies this can really limit an audience as well as limit the possibilities for the program. On the BBC website it also describes that the watershed should not mean an abrupt change in content and the maturity of the program should gradually increase as the night deepens with more exposing adult themes being at the latter of the schedule. If the watershed is broken OfCom take action on the broadcaster; since 2003 OfCom have taken action on over 300 broadcasters regarding inappropriate content and the time it was broadcast. One example of this is when Rihanna’s S&M music video was broadcast early afternoon, pre-watershed.
The BBC has also come into trouble with some of their scheduling, this is normally due to a mass of complaints from viewers which is then investigated by OfCom, in the most part the BBC seem to get off scot free without having to pay any charges or face any other consequences. OfCom made an investigation into the nudity pre-watershed in the New Year opening episode of Sherlock ‘A Scandal in Belgravia’, when over 100 people complained, 19 to OfCom itself. A rape storyline in Downton Abbey caused controversy, as 244 viewers made a complaint to Ofcom regarding it, however ITV and OfCom were able to disregard the accusation due to the pre-show warning and the show being broadcast after 9pm. This is an example that shows when you do stick to the laws of broadcasting serious action can be avoided. A current example of TV that is currently under investigation is Channel 4’s, UKIP: The first 100 days after receiving over 5000 complaints from viewers. OfCom are looking into whether it breaches privacy, fairness and offensiveness of content guidelines. Furthermore the BBC received complaints about Rita Ora, who was wearing a low-cut dress on The One show whilst promoting her show The Voice. The BBC came under fire from over 400 viewers for the pre-watershed showing of potentially explicit content regarding partial nudity.
Finally a story which has led to a lot of controversy in the news and within the BBC most recently is concerning ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. After punching a producer on set when he could not get a hot meal, Clarkson was suspended from the show and after an investigation into the incident the BBC decided that they would not be renewing his contract, leaving the show at an abrupt end. Jeremy has been a big controversial issue to the BBC for many years in which led to him being put on his final warning in 2014 when he was caught using thee N word whilst reciting a nursery rhyme. Although this was re-shot and the original not broadcast, it caused the BBC to put Clarkson on his final warning. The latter incident exhibited just where the BBC stands on certain ethical and legal issues, and how they would not tolerate this type of behaviour.
One of the big ethical considerations in both Film as well as TV is how gender is represented. The Film industry, companies and directors have to be careful to represent both genders correctly and fairly. Gender equality is a big thing within government at the moment and laws have been passed regarding the equal treating of both genders and the discrimination of a certain sex.
With any film company consideration has to be taken to how both men and woman are represented in films, as well as within the company. 21st Century Britain is very different to how it was decades ago and the way genders and also religions are portrayed within the media produced has to be taken into careful consideration. Challenging stereotypes is a current issue in which the media industry is being encouraged to step up and take action for. Gender is a big issue in the film industry, with shocking facts coming out that the amount of male actors is over double that of female, with male actors taking up almost 70% of the named or speaking roles in films. This is one big problem in the film and media industry as this is such an unfair unbalance of gender ratios. Some of the social and ethical issues this raises are to do with the cementation of stereotypes and a representation of male domination and woman being used as sex objects. If you were to simply watch one James Bond film you would start to understand this unfair representation. Bond being the main character has dominance over the woman he meets, seducing them and then letting them die like they’re an object of his desire and the world revolves around him. Many people are starting to challenge the images of gender that are created through films; the feminist movement is one of the groups doing this.
Not only are there less female actors but those female actors who do make it big still don't get the same recognition as men do. In research from 2012/2013 it was discovered that the highest paid female actor (Angelina Jolie) in an average year earns $33 million whereas the highest paid male actor (Robert Downey Jr.) earns $75 million. With the legal acts implemented in the last decade, like the Equality acts which became law on the 6th of April 2011. This means a few things for film companies like 20th Century-Fox, firstly how both men and women are treated in the workplace as well as how they are employed and represented in films.
The representation of religious beliefs can be even ropeier than gender and film studios can get into a lot of trouble for representing a culture and its beliefs incorrectly. For example in the film 'Hollywood Buddha' there was a lack of sensitivity towards the religious beliefs and symbols which Buddhists hold in reverence, resulting in the production company (YBG Productions) getting in some tribulation for the film.
The laws put into place for gender equality don’t seem to take too much significance in influencing the way 20th Century-Fox makes or distributes films. Films like James Bond, although not by 20th Century-Fox, goes to show the lack of impact these rules seem to have on films and the sexism within them. However a main character in M was played by Judi Dench, a position once played by a man, which shows a level of progress within the films. When I simply scroll through a list of 20th Century Fox films you can see from the off that the films are mainly male character orientated, for example; X-Men, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Lets be Cops and Night at the Museum, just to name a few.
In conclusion these handful of issues are just a few of the many different ethical and legal issues, which are raised within the media industry. There are many more issues and sub-issues, however these few are ones which I feel stand out and are some of the most important in each industry.