From Jim Metrock: The Federal government runs a lot of public service announcements (PSAs) on Channel One News. These PSAs keep Channel One’s viable. Many of these PSAs send the wrong message about drugs. Some tell young people that they can hang around drug users as long as they themselves don’t do drugs. That is a dangerous message but remember these messages are coming from our Federal government so there is no surprise they are poorly done and ineffective.
The latest series of anti-drug PSAs are the most controversial ever to be shown in schools. One shows two boys who are evidently smoking pot and one picks up a gun and says it is unloaded. A gunshot goes off. The students don’t see who is shot but it is a terrifying video that will deeply disturb some students.
Another one shows a boy sexually assaulting a passed-out girl. Could a school board be sued for allowing Channel One to show these images in classrooms? This is the problem when a school turns over one hour a week of school to Channel One. This company has a long history of making one mistake after another.
Holy cow! What is Channel One showing students?! Where did their “news standards” go?
Federal bureaucrats think this edgy PSA will scare children away from smoking marijuana. This girl evidently has smoked pot and she is unaware of the young man unbuttoning her blouse. This scene ends without any nudity, but one has to wonder if school boards are opening themselves up to lawsuits for putting sexual situations on the classroom TV screen for young people as young as thirteen. We have asked Channel One if this PSA ran in middle schools and they have not replied. If they have, then children as young as ten were shown this PSA. (This image is taken from Channel One’s October 8, 2002 show.)
