Media Regulation: Case Study - '13 Reasons Why'

13 Reasons Why:

What is it about:

'Newcomer Katherine Langford plays the role of Hannah, a young woman who takes her own life. Two weeks after her tragic death, a classmate named Clay finds a mysterious box on his porch. Inside the box are recordings made by Hannah - on whom Clay had a crush - in which she explains the 13 reasons why she chose to commit suicide. If Clay decides to listen to the recordings, he will find out if and how he made the list.

It chronicles the sexual assault and suicide of Hannah Baker, who records and extended suicide note through a series of 13 tapes explaining her decision - her 13 Reasons Why.

• Brian Yorkey created the TV series based on the 2007 novel by Jay Asher
• It was released on the 31st of March 2017
• It is available on only a few streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV

• There was a lot of controversy that came about in many countries as it depicted scenes of suicide, drug use, gang rape and self-harm
• In New Zealand, under 18s were banned from watching it without an adult
• There were several complaints about how it glorified suicide and could prompt copycats
• NZ has the highest rate of suicide in the OECD, with an average of 2 young people taking their lives each week
• The NZ Office of Film and Literature created a new censorship category RP18 to address concerns over the series, issuing an immediate restriction on the show to those aged under 18, unless accompanied by an adult
• The authority said the existing classification distinctions were not considered adequate, as 16 and 17 year olds were a prime age group for teen suicide
• "New Zealand has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the OECD, and mental health advocates are extremely concerned about the effect 13 Reasons Why could have on the teenagers around the country who are binge-watching it at just this moments"
• "The show ignores the relationship between suicide and the mental illness that often accompanies it. People often commit suicide because they are unwell, not simply because people have been cruel to them. It is also extremely damaging to present rape as a ‘good enough’ reason for someone to commit suicide. This sends the wrong message to survivors of sexual violence about their futures and their worth."
• The body found that the scene detailing Hannah’s suicide was graphic, and was “explicit” about the method she used, which could be seen as instructional to vulnerable teens.
• The BBFC (UK), however, had a 15 age rating for many of the episodes, but had an age restriction of 18 for four episodes
  
  

• However, some aspects of the show have been praised, however, including positive messaging around consent and sexual violence, and the way it raises awareness of youth mental health
• Some censors didn't give the 13 Reasons a straight R16 or R18 rating because it raises issues that are relevant to teens, and it didn't want to prevent them watching and learning from it
• The classification decision was made after discussing the series with teens aged 14-18. Deputy chief censor Jared Mullen said the young people he talked to had found the show to be a realistic reflection of their experiences

• Warnings that were placed on Netflix for the TV series were deemed inadequate and the show needed more on-screen warnings about the graphic content, especially as rape is a dominant theme in which the series primarily centers around
• Chief censor David Shanks said "explicit warnings about graphic scenes were more important than preventing spoilers"
• Concerns were also raised about the final episode of season 2, which depicts the graphic gang rape of a teenage boy. Before the episode, Netflix runs a warning which reads: "The following episode contains graphic depictions of sexual assault and drug abuse
• Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said he received several complaints from viewers who felt the warning was grossly inadequate in comparison to what was shown. One 15 year old said the warning left her ill-prepared for what she was about to view: "When you say graphic, obviously it's going to be quite impacting, but what was actually shown I feel was more than having an impact on an audience...I felt, after I had watched that, I felt like I had been violated, like I had been the one that had been assaulted because it was such an intense scene."
• Many young viewers also took to Twitter to share their feelings. "The bathroom scene in the last episode of 13 Reasons Why season 2 needs to be taken down, I wish it was less graphic...I'm feeling disgusted and distressed at this point. I can't sleep because of this, the image can't leave my head," said one user