Outraged by something you’ve seen on television? Right now, if you want to make an official complaint to the station, it needs to be by snailmail, but that could change in the near future.
Amanda Meade at the Australian reports that proposed changes to the TV Code of Practice which binds commercial stations could see email complaints allowed. As Meade notes, “it is expected that, once viewers can send an email to their local TV channel, the volume of complaints will rise significantly”. Indeed, one potential downside might be organised electronic complaints by pressure groups. Such campaigns were a significant factor in some overseas TV “scandals” such as Janet Jackson’s nipple exposure at Superbowl in the US and the Celebrity Big Brother racism row in the UK.
Is it time for local TV codes of practice to reflect the electronic communications reality, or is being forced to send a letter a better way of ensuring that complaints aren’t frivolous? Give your view in the comments.
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