APRIL NEWSLETTER

Kia ora koutou

I want to start this monthly despatch by acknowledging how we, like the rest of the world, were shocked and saddened by the acts of violence in Sydney recently. These horrific events, that happened so close to home, have stunned the world. Footage was shared widely and rapidly, and we recognise the efforts of the Australian eSafety Commissioner to curb the spread of this material online.   

Last year I was honoured to be asked by the Police Commissioner to be a patron for a group of police recruits going through their training at the Royal New Zealand Police College. Over on the blog I reflect on the wider public good that both Police and Te Mana Whakaatu do for our communities and how those shared aims seek to keep everyone safe.   

Our newsletters generally talk about topics like sex, drugs, and the media content landscape. Our aim is to have difficult conversations and shine a light on ways to reduce harm for New Zealanders. If you know someone who should receive these updates, please share our newsletter or encourage them to subscribe. Be sure to follow our socials and LinkedIn too.

Aroha atu, aroha mai, tātou i a tātou
Let’s look out for each other

— Chief Censor Caroline Flora

#Mātakitahi #WatchTogether #Kōrerotahi #TalkTogether 

Image: Ella Purnell as Lucy in Fallout.

Ofcom research release: Protection of children online

An interesting series of reports have been released by Ofcom that explores the experience of children in online spaces. The research looks at pathways to harm, its impact and the use of, and perceptions towards, online protections.

This research was carried out in the UK by Ofcom who have a duty to promote and research media literacy in the UK, as part of their role as an online safety regulator. 

The full line-up of research is available here, including Understanding pathways to online violent content, Experiences of children encountering online content relating to eating disorders, self-harm and suicide, and Research into the risk factors that may lead children to harm online. 

That's a whole lotta content warnings: how to talk about Fallout with your younger family members

Talking with gamers about what they play, how it makes them feel and what goes on in the game can be hard to navigate if you're not a gamer yourself. But Fallout the game and Fallout the Prime Video series provide opportunities for these healthy discussions. Series that have been influenced by or are based on popular games such as Fallout and The Last of Us provide an easy way to have those conversations and helps us struggling parents understand what goes on in video games. 

Over on the blog Caitlin delves into some great conversation starters if you're watching Fallout with your 16 and older rangatahi.

Walking alongside Police Recruits from training to graduation day

From October 2023 I became the proud Patron of Wing 373. They graduated in February after an intense four-month journey of academic, physical, tactical and psychological training. This was a journey that I was privileged to be a part of, and I reflected a lot about the common mission we public servants have, to reduce harm and create safer communities.

Chief Censor Caroline Flora reflects on the work of the Police alongside the work of the Classification Office in this post about graduation day at the Police College.

Can my 5-year-old watch the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film?

My daughter is a Swiftie and I almost lost the Mum of the Year award after not spending thousands of dollars to let her see Taylor Swift in concert in Australia this year. So, when the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film came out in Disney+ I jumped at the chance to redeem myself.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is rated M with a warning note for offensive language. Caitlin breaks down the content in this watch guide for the biggest concert movie of 2024.

Why did Civil War get this classification?

R16: Violence, cruelty, offensive language and content that may disturb

The US states are at war with each other. Experienced photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) takes a young war photographer, Jessie, under her wing as a group of journalists make a dangerous journey to Washington DC to interview the president.

This film was classified by the Office and received an R16: Violence, cruelty, offensive language and content that may disturb. Read our breakdown of the classification.

Why did Monkey Man get this classification?

R16: Violence and offensive language

Dev Patel plays a man who seeks revenge for the death of his mother at the hands of cruel and corrupt figures. Directed by Patel, and co-produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope).

This film was classified by the Office, with assistance from two members of our Youth Advisory Panel, and received an R16 with content warnings for violence and offensive language. Read our breakdown of the classification.

Why did The Mountain get this rating?

PG: Parental guidance recommended for younger viewers

The Mountain follows the journey of three newly connected tamariki. Eleven-year-old Sam believes wholeheartedly that her maunga, Mt Taranaki, will cure her illness and connect her to the whakapapa she longs for. She meets two accomplices along the way. Together, this perfectly imperfect trio experiences the kind of friendship that changes your life forever. 

This film was rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body and received a PG rating. Read our breakdown of the rating.

Because our work requires a broad knowledge of the vast online landscape, we consume a lot of media in the office. Here are just a few of the things we’ve found relevant and informative over the past month. Take a break with these media lunch items:

eSafety commissioner orders X and Meta to remove violent videos following Sydney church stabbing (The Guardian)

How one cinema and a film society helped save NZIFF for the regions (Flicks)

The truth about incel forums (Vice)

Hate Pays. How X accounts are exploiting the Israel-Gaza conflict to grow and profit (Center for Countering Digital Hate)