How to help

Here's what you can do.

1. Decide who you want to write to about this issue - your national or state representative, and/or the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
2. Use the links below to find the name and address (postal, email or fax) of the person to whom you have decided to write.
3. Download the sample letter (Word document format - please email us if you need another format).
4. Enter the details of the person to whom you are writing.
5. Send it off - by post, email or by fax.
6. As a last step, record what you have done by completing this quick survey.
7. And don't forget to pass this message on to your friends and family.
   

Find your local member through these links

• Prime Minister of Australia
• Federal Government - House of Representatives
• Federal Government - Senate
• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory list of members
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Western Australia

What is my electorate?

If you do not know your electorate, you can check it on the Australian Electoral Commission website search engine.

Australian Communications and Media Authoriy (ACMA)

• Australian Communications and Media Authority homepage
• Here's what the ACMA says about children's television standards
• Here are the actual television standards
• You may complain directly to the ACMA on matters relating to the Children's Television Standards, addressed to:

  Assistant Manager, Investigations Section
  Australian Communications & Media Authority
  PO Box Q500 Queen Victoria Building
  Sydney NSW 1230
  Fax: (02) 9334 7799
  Email: broadcasting@acma.gov.au

Useful Information

There have been many studies into the effects of advertising on children. We have listed some links to sites which contain research and which have similar aims to our own below. Please let us know if you know of other research/sites which you would like us to list here.

• information about media and children
• www.commercialalert.org/ (this is a US organisation aimed at preventing "the commercial sphere" from, among other things, exploiting children)
• www.racp.edu.au (an article by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians)
• Coalition on Food Advertising to Children (note, the link is on left hand side of Centre for Health Promotion Page)
• www.nutritionaustralia.org (reading only, rather old - 1998 - but it's by Rosemary Stanton)
• www.parentsjury.org.au (this is an organisation which targets children's lifestyle - food and activity. It awards prizes for the worst food marketing. They also have sample letters and all sorts of useful stuff on their website. Worth a look.)
• www.mediachannel.org consuming kids articls
• www.preventioninstitute.org

Here are some publications you might find interesting.

Advertising to Children:

Concepts and Controversies by Les Carlson

Children & Advertising:

The allegations and the evidence by Adrian Furnham

Children as Consumers:

Insights and Implications by James U. McNeal

Harvesting Minds:

How TV Commercials Control Kids by Roy F. Fox