Over to You

Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly Over to You column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic.

Barry Lysaght, Glenstal Abbey School, Murroe, Co Limerick

The Censorship of Publications Board claimed to have banned In Dublin from the shelves because editions of the magazine were deemed to have been "frequently indecent or obscene".

In today's media, there is an indecent and obscene streak which runs deep, and In Dublin is most definitely not the worst culprit.

The In Dublin magazine in question at the time of the ban was one with a (clothed) model on the front, sporting an Austin Powers-style dress with the well-known catchphrase "Shagadelic!" printed across the middle. This, apparently, was considered to be the straw that broke the camel's back. How then can it be permitted that magazines intended for teenage girls, which advocate underage sex by using provocative language and images, are still allowed to sell without restriction?

Small wonder that the number of teenage births has spiralled in recent years, as magazines such as J17, Mizz and Sugar are still polluting the shelves with reams of peer pressure, advice on "how to turn to turn your guy on" and precocious stories and pictures. It is more shocking than amusing to see which teen-girl mag can out-shout the others with sex as a headline.

Amy Fox, St Joseph of Cluny Secondary School, Killiney, Co Dublin

In today's super-technical age, it is comforting to know that some things remain hardly changed. Censorship in Irish society is a safety net for all parents. Even though we have come to acknowledge the change in society's standards for magazines like Playboy, we still have a somewhat sanitised mass media.

Little has really changed since these censorship acts were introduced in 1929. It is reassuring for parents to know that there are stiff regulations on what their children view too.

The Internet gives unlimited access to immoral chat-rooms to anybody. However, with software programmes such as Net Nanny, any responsible parent can rest assured that their kids cannot access anything that would strip them of their innocence.

Some might say the State is too weak to change these laws, maybe even backward. It seems that the laws are only there to keep the church happy.

However, I think only a minority would have this opinion. For most, Ireland's censorship laws are welcomed. They protect the most vulnerable in our society today.

Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie

media scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Group rates and a special worksheet service (see `faxback', right) are available: FREEPHONE 1800-798884.

Media Scope is edited by Harry Browne