Censorship: A Question of Judgment? (1963)

Should the sponsor of a high-school newspaper have the power to determine whether a picture of a student fight should be printed?

"How is this going to be a better world if all the newspapers do is print stories of fights and robberies and murders?" This little film marks a turning point in the attitude of educational filmmakers. It opens with a shot of two high school teens flailing at each other while a circle of their classmates cheer them on. "Another school fight," the narrator sighs. "The latest in what appears to be an increasing trend to settle disputes brutally." Nancy Martin, editor of the school paper, takes a photo of the fight and wants to run it on page one, but Mr. Bishop, her advisor, refuses. "We live in a world that's troubled enough," he explains. "We want to show the good things that our students are doing, not the bad things." Nancy, starry-eyed New Frontierperson that she is, disagrees. "I don't think we should hide things just because they're unpleasant," she snorts. "We need to let people know about things that are going wrong. The things that have to be corrected!" Obviously, the world of 1963 was not one that the founders of the educational film industry had envisioned. Yet, interestingly, Nancy is attractive, well-groomed and earnest, while Mr. Bishop is bald, wears glasses, and is clad in a dull, black suit. Who do you think the makers of this film wanted us to side with?

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• sixties
• mindset
• mentality
• brawls
• fistfights
• students
• newspapers
• attitudes
• social
• guidance
• censorship

[toschie]

Nancy looks like she's at least 35.

[Cenilea]

I can't help but wonder what Mr. Bishop would think of today's "sensationalist" media... :P

[doobie1968]

Nancy was only 34 at filming, but yes she was still in High School. Mr Biuship punish her as she ultimately ran the picture against his wishes, so she got left back 17 years.

[lambchopxoxo]

Is that someone screaming "stomp him" in the background