About

‘Media Classification Systems: An International Comparative Study’ examines historical and current approaches to this question in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. This site provides an introduction to those histories, including the ways that new technologies, particular texts and genres, influential individuals and organisations, and the international circulation of culture and policy have constantly updated the governmental practice of media classification.

The histories represented on this site are necessarily partial given the international scope. They also reflect various emphases across the project itself, including available archives, academic literature, access to regulatory institutions, and our interests and expertise. Information is organised chronologically, and can be viewed by nation or according to other categories we have deemed useful for representational clarity: media, government, and event.

The national frame is effective for representing this history, however our content should indicate the significance of international relationships and forms of cultural exchange to changing ideas about young people, media, and governing relations between the two. We encourage experimentation with the available tabs to establish comparisons between national contexts, governmental approaches, and media. We also welcome feedback about possible additions, questions of historical fact, and further suggestions for research.