1960

1960
Challenges to the Obscene Publications Act (1959) in cases such as the successful defence of the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover suggested a strong shift in public opinion when a jury acquitted this work.

1964
Violence in Walter Grauman's Lady In A Cage proved too strong for the Board and the film was rejected on the grounds that it could 'invite and stimulate juvenile violence and anti-social behaviour by young people'

1966
Lewis Gilbert's Alfie was passed uncut with the remark that it contained a 'basically moral theme' in spite of some misgivings at the Board about the abortion theme.
Attitudes to sexuality were on the change and Trevelyan claimed that the BBFC had never banned the subject of homosexuality from the screen but 'the subject was one that would probably not be acceptable to the British audience'

Public tolerance increased increased in the sweeping social change of the 60s, films became more explicit but in practice the Board still requested cuts, usually to verbal and visual 'indeceny'

1967
Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde with its notorious denouement of the charismatic outlaws being riddled with bullets was passed 'X' uncut in 1967.

1950

1951
Controversial subjects on film were accommodated in the UK under the new 'X' category and it incorporated the formed advisory 'H' category given to horror films.
The growth of television ownership eroded the adult'family cinema audiences and the popular Press suggested that there was increased teenage criminality when in fact there was no evidence of a teenage crime wave.

1954
Concerns about juvenile delinquents delayed the classification of Laslo Benedek's film The Wild One for thirteen years because the Board described the contents as 'a spectacle of unbridled hooliganism'. Riots in English seaside towns involving Mods and Rockers (Margate and Clacton in 1964) were cited as providing justification for the Board's continuing objections to the film.

1955
Richard Brook's The Blackboard Jungle was submitted and the first reaction of Arthur Watkins was to reject it on the grounds that 'filled as it is with scenes of unbridled revolting hooliganism it would, if shown in this country, provoke the strongest criticism from parents...and would have the most damaging and harmful effect on young people'
The rejection decision was challenged by MGM and the film was viewed again by the Board President which resulted in another rejection.
A series of negotiations that began, resulting in substantial cuts for an 'X' certificate.

1956
The Board felt able to offer an 'X' with cuts to details of drug-preparation and some incidental violence.
Arthur Watkins resigned and was replaced as Secretary by John Nichols.

1958
John Trevelyan became Board Secretary.
Upheaval in social and class barriers that followed the war is reflected in films like Jack Clayton's Room At The Top which generated much amicable negotiation between John Trevelyan and Romulus Films on the language used in the film.

1912-1949

1912
The BBFC was established.

1916
T.P. O'Connor was appointed President of the BBFC. He summarised the Board's Policy by listing 43 grounds for deletion laid down for the guidance of examiners which shows the strictness felt necessary if the Board was to earn the trust of the public and relevant bodies.

YEARS BETWEEN THE WARS
Material that caused concern included horror and gangster films as well as those that dealt with aspects of sexuality. Some councils were barring children from films that were classified 'A'
London County Council and Manchester City Council banned children from Frankenstein (1931) although the sequence in which the monster drowns a small girl had already been cut.

1932
The advisory category 'H' (for horror) was agreed to indicate the potential unsuitability for children of the horror theme.

1948
Arthur Watkins was appointed Secretary to the Board under the Presidency of Sir Sidney Harris. Both men came from the Home Office. Watkins and Harris formulated new terms of reference for the Board based on three principles:

• was the story, incident or dialogue likely to impair the moral standards of the public by extenuating vice or extenuating vice or crime or depreciating moral standards?
• was it likely to give offence to reasonable minded cinema audiences?
• what effect would it have on children?

The effect on children was of major importance  since no category that excluded children. As 'adults only' category was increasingly seen as desirable, not only to protect children, but as an extension of the freedom of film-makers to treat adult subjects in an adult fashion.

BBFC Seminar

It was great to have one of the actual examiners come to talk to us. Although we had already gone through most of the information, it was insightful to hear it from a person that is involved in the process each and every day.
I knew that the BBFC classified games but was surprised to hear that they actually have to play the game in order to classify it.

It was also interesting to learn that they have no say in what they have to watch and classify. It is all done randomly. I enjoyed watching the clips especially the scene from "The Killer Inside Me" which was passed at "18" although it is VERY disturbing.

PCC Seminar

I found the seminar very interesting on Wednesday. It was great to see where they actually work and it was totally different to how I imagined it. I thought it would be a very uninviting serious place but was surprised to find it to be very friendly; definitely the kind of place I would go if I wanted to complain about the press.

Something I didn't expect was that if something discriminatory is written against a specific individual, the complaint will not be upheld unless that specific individual complains.

I liked the examples we were shown and how the reasons why decisions were made were clearly explained to us. It was great that the woman giving the seminar actually worked in the PCC and was involved in dealing with complaints.

The PCC Code of Practice

1. Accuracy
2. Opportunity to reply
3. Privacy *
4. Harassment *
5. Intrusion into grief or shock
6. Children *
7. Children in sex cases *
8. Hospitals *
9. Reporting of Crime *
10. Clandestine devices and subterfuge *
11. Victims of sexual assault
12. Discrimination
13. Financial journalism
14. Confidential sources
15. Witness payments in criminal trials
16. Payment to criminals *

A clause that is marked with a * means that there will be exceptions to the clause if it can be demonstrated to be in the public interest.

The public interest includes, but is not confined to:

1. Detecting or exposing crime or serious impropriety.
2. Protecting public health and safety.
3. Preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual or organisation.

The Press Complaints Commission

What does the PCC do?

• independent body which deals with complaints about editorial content of newspapers and magazines in the UK and their websites.
• follows a sixteen clause "Code of Practice" which act as the "rules" for editors and journalists.
• investigates complaints from people who believe the Code has been broken.
• the PCC acts as a mediator to help the editor and complainant agree on a way to resolve the dispute.
• the Commission can also issue a formal judgement (adjudication) on the complaint.

How is the PCC funded?

• funded through a body called the Press Standards Board of Finance which collect money from newspapers and magazines in the UK.
• each newspaper and magazine contribute an amount in proportion to the number of people who buy it and read it.
• members of the public do not have to pay for the service directly or indirectly (through takers)
• the PCC doesn't receive any money from the Government.

What is the history of the PCC?

• set up in 1991 and replaced the Press Council.
• during the 1980s, some publications failed to observe the basic ethics of journalism ad this led many MPs to lose confidence in the Press Council as they thought it was weak and ineffective.
• some politicians believed it would be better to have a new regulatory authority that would come under government control and have the power to enforce legal punishments on the press.
• the PCC was set up as a "last saloon" type scenario and it has continued to grow in respect and influence.

Who complains to the PCC and what do they complain about?

• the PCC accepts complaints from anyone who believes an article involving them breaches the Code in some way.
• in 2007, 95.8% of complaints were from ordinary members of the public. (1.5% came from people in the public eye)
• the Code provides special protection to particularly vulnerable groups of people such as children, hospital patients and those at risk of discrimination.
• majority of complaints are about regional newspapers.

Why is the PCC important?

• the press should not be subject to stringent controls by law or by government.
• the PCC, being an independent, voluntary organisation, protects againt this possibility simply by its existence.
• being free doesn't mean the press should not be accountable, there has to be a balance.
• the PCC is committed to protecting the public by ensuring that when the rules are broken it can put things right as soon as possible.
• it is FAST, FREE and FAIR.