GRAND Magazine - February 2009 - 10

header s p ec i a l pa rt n e r s h i p s ec t i o n Stand Up to IrreSponSIble MedIa: How to reclaim Some of the Influence in Your Grandchild’s life By patty leonard, president & ceo of Family Values cinema and tim Winter, president of the parents television council “lisa,” a teenager from long island, became a fan of tV’s sex and the city when she was 14. she quickly lost her virginity and soon “graduated” to ordering cosmopolitans at bars she snuck into, while cheating on her boyfriend with up to seven other guys—in one week. “lisa” told aBcnews.com, “When you’re that age, you try to emulate people on tV. so i did, too. i love the show, but it made it a little easier to justify my behavior.” every day, guns in schools or gang violence claim yet another young life. an unnamed fifteen-year-old girl from ohio is facing felony child-porn charges for sending nude cell phone pictures of herself to classmates. these stories are, sadly, not unusual today. hundreds more like them appearing daily in newspapers across the country. tragic, heartbreaking accounts of young lives and innocence lost to a popular culture that often devalues moral virtue and even human life, while glorifying meaningless, promiscuous sexuality and brute force. Where Did We Go Wrong? Popular Media vs. Our Children’s Futures it may seem overly simplistic to say that our media culture is to blame, but it is virtually impossible to ignore the mounting evidence implicating it. three major studies have come out recently documenting the connection between exposure to media violence and violent behavior; the link between sex in the media and teen pregnancy; and the media’s role in various health crises, from drug, tobacco and alcohol use to childhood obesity. turn on the television any night and you’ll find multiple examples exalting casual extramarital sex. and we dare to be shocked that one in four teenage girls today has an stD. change the channel, and you’ll see grisly, gory violence galore. stories that glorify shootings, gang violence, even torture. series that exalt serial killers. and then we’re stunned when children kill other children. We can no longer ignore hollywood’s seemingly unremitting march down into the gutter. We can not simply shrug and silently assent when defenders say, “if you don’t like it, change the channel,” and cede more ground to those who irresponsibly build fortunes while compromising our children’s lives and futures. the stakes are too high. Take Charge with Responsible Family Entertainment: Using the Media as a Positive Force in Our Children’s Lives Media is here to stay and its influence in our children’s lives will only grow over time. advocacy is one way to impact the media our children are exposed to on a grand scale. But when it comes to their own homes and living rooms, adults often feel powerless against it. there are ways though that parents and grandparents can turn the tables right in their own homes as well – optimize the media’s positive value while minimizing its potential harm. Family Values cinema® (FVc) offers an unbeatable option. created by veterans in the entertainment industry committed to responsible entertainment, FVc harnesses the media’s influence to enhance parenting goals instead of undermining them. FVc is a unique, family-oriented DVD-ofthe-month subscription program that provides quality entertainment without the unwanted appearance of profanity, sex, violence, etc. through a triple-screening process involving a national board of mom reviewers, FVc eliminates the never-ending search for family friendly movies that appeal to both kids and adults. FVc will give grandparents and grandkids a great way to bond over beloved family films, while soaking up wisdom and positive values. FVc movies also come with instructive Discussion Guides that encourage thoughtful, meaningful conversation between adults and kids, helping strengthen communication and trust. Families receive a collector’s case as well for storing their films. Best of all, the FVc program is much more affordable than current popular alternatives like Blockbuster or amazon.com. FVc can be an excellent way to share fun but rewarding quality time with grandkids or a great gift grandparents can give their adult children to share with their families. FVc is currently extending a special free trial offer to interested readers! You can cancel any time. For your free trial visit www.familyvaluescinema.com/Grand or call 1-800-768-9606 and mention GRAND magazine. the fallout of irresponsible media touches every family – even those vigilant about their kids’ viewing habits. so, it is every caring adult’s responsibility and obligation to take a stand. the parents television council exists to lead the fight by helping inform and educate parents about television content; putting pressure on the entertainment industry and corporate sponsors to behave responsibly; pushing the Fcc to enforce community standards for broadcast television; mobilizing an army of 1.3 million grassroots activists; and when appropriate, publicly praising those individuals, producers, and companies that try to do the right thing. the parents television council’s website, www.parentstv.org provides a wealth of resources for making the right viewing decisions. Working together in the quest for responsible media, Family Values cinema and the parents television council offer parents and grandparents trusted resources for making informed and sound media consumption choices. our choices influence the kinds of adults our children become, and we must all do our job right. We cannot afford to fail. Learn More TAGLINE MA REGISTRATIO EXACTLY WH ® LOGO can be NO smaller than this size (2.5” W x 3.25” H) 10 GRAND JANUARY FEBRUARY 2008 LARG

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GRAND Magazine - February 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - February 2009