Media Regulation Research pt. 1
What ‘regulation’ means:
Regulation is the act of controlling behaviour, of societies or people by rules or restrictions. Everything in life has regulations, rules and laws are expected to be followed every day (eg: Don’t murder people)
What the BBFC does:
The British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC) regulates what films can be seen by certain people (eg: under 18’s will not be allowed to see an ‘18′ certificate film). All countries have their own ways of regulating films, some involve censoring (cutting down footage) or certification (eg: 15) and some use both methods. There is concern that films may impact individuals and society in a negative way, which is why the BBFC, MPAA, and other film regulators give films certificates. These concerns are mostly related to Sex, Violence, Swearing, Drug Use, Cruelty (in the making of the film) and Politics.
What the MPAA does:
The Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA), like the BBFC, regulate what films can be seen by certain people (eg: R needs people under 17 to be accompanied by an adult over 21 in order to see the film)and they can recommend the cutting of films to raise or lower the rating of films. The MPAA also enforce copyright protection and criminal law.