Censor entertainment television programmes
Sep 17, 2008
Although television is one of the fastest growing modes of education, information and entertainment, there seems to be no effort in safeguarding against the screening of programmes that can poison the minds of young children.
Fred Mwesigwa
Although television is one of the fastest growing modes of education, information and entertainment, there seems to be no effort in safeguarding against the screening of programmes that can poison the minds of young children.
Most entertainment programmes can cultivate social evils like dishonesty, malice, jealousy and acts like divorce, rape and murder. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train a child in a way that he should go so that when he grows he may not depart from it.â€
The telecasting of obscene and crime-laden programmes during the day is worrying. Recently I told my children that the programmes on NTV that are categorised as deserving parental guidance are not worth watching since they are from a foreign culture whose value system and attendant age consideration is different from ours.
The visual message before the screening of the programme read, “While this programme is not age restricted, the theme is of an adult nature and parental guidance is advised.†How does the Broadcasting Council reconcile the claim that a programme may not be age restricted but of an adult nature? Worse still, the title of the film was Criminal Minds. I told my children that this programme is not of any benefit to you but they argued: “But daddy you are supposed to provide parental guidance.â€
Some of the gory scenes were so scaring that the children wanted to keep their eyes shut. The film was about a serial murderer; a young man who had a poor upbringing and hated all women. At the end of the film, my children reasoned that there was no harm in the film.
The Broadcasting Council should crack down on TV stations that broadcast negative programmes during the day instead of telecasting educative, informative and entertaining programmes that are suitable for children. An escape route would be for parents to keep away their television sets, but children would be denied the chance to be exposed to other suitable programmes.
The practice of transplanting Western films into local television and film screens for children’s viewing without vetting them may be part of the reason why young minds have been poisoned.
The writer lectures at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono
Although television is one of the fastest growing modes of education, information and entertainment, there seems to be no effort in safeguarding against the screening of programmes that can poison the minds of young children.
Most entertainment programmes can cultivate social evils like dishonesty, malice, jealousy and acts like divorce, rape and murder. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train a child in a way that he should go so that when he grows he may not depart from it.â€
The telecasting of obscene and crime-laden programmes during the day is worrying. Recently I told my children that the programmes on NTV that are categorised as deserving parental guidance are not worth watching since they are from a foreign culture whose value system and attendant age consideration is different from ours.
The visual message before the screening of the programme read, “While this programme is not age restricted, the theme is of an adult nature and parental guidance is advised.†How does the Broadcasting Council reconcile the claim that a programme may not be age restricted but of an adult nature? Worse still, the title of the film was Criminal Minds. I told my children that this programme is not of any benefit to you but they argued: “But daddy you are supposed to provide parental guidance.â€
Some of the gory scenes were so scaring that the children wanted to keep their eyes shut. The film was about a serial murderer; a young man who had a poor upbringing and hated all women. At the end of the film, my children reasoned that there was no harm in the film.
The Broadcasting Council should crack down on TV stations that broadcast negative programmes during the day instead of telecasting educative, informative and entertaining programmes that are suitable for children. An escape route would be for parents to keep away their television sets, but children would be denied the chance to be exposed to other suitable programmes.
The practice of transplanting Western films into local television and film screens for children’s viewing without vetting them may be part of the reason why young minds have been poisoned.
The writer lectures at the Uganda Christian University, Mukono