SRE0457
Written evidence submitted by The Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP)
The Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP) is charged with assessing the content of teenage magazines in relation to their content regarding sexual activity and relationships. The TMAP was established in 1996 as a response to concerns from a few parents and elected members that content was occasionally inappropriate for the age group covered by the readership.
In carrying its duties for the past 18 years, members of the panel have been very aware of the crucial importance of the magazine sector in providing honest and unbiased advice and information to young people – mainly, but not exclusively, young women – in a format and forum that they valued highly. Many surveys on sources of information and support report that the teenage magazines were a most valuable and highly valued resource, and one that the majority of young people found to be reliable and informative. Many young people named magazines as being more helpful than they rated their own parents. I enclose two articles for reference.
Relevant content included not just sexual activity, but also closely related issues such as bullying, abuse, gender relations, consent, grooming, sexual diversity, mutuality, respect, etc.
At its latest meeting, the members of TMAP were distressed to hear that the last of the traditional magazines in this sector has now ceased production. Sugar and Bliss have both closed in the past few months, following the closure of Mizz, J17, Cosmo Girl and others. While the traditional teenage magazine market has declined, there is an ever increasing volume of information available to young people on the internet which does not always have the same safeguards, checks and balances that magazine content offered.
Members of the Panel were therefore pleased to see the Education Select Committee is conducting an inquiry on Personal, Social, Health and Economic education and Sex and Relationships Education in schools and have asked me to write to you in that context. Given the decline of traditional printed magazines as an important informal source of help and support for young people, the Panel members feel that it is even more important than before that schools take on board their responsibilities to offer mature, honest and broad coverage of issues in this crucially important area that affects all young people and their healthy development.
TMAP is supported and administered by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA). If you would like to discuss any of these matters further please contact the PPA’s Head of Public Affairs, Owen Meredith on owen.meredith@ppa.co.uk who will be able to assist.
August 2014
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