Payne Fund Studies
Encyclopedia
The Payne Fund Studies were a series of studies of the effect of movies on children's behavior. They were paid for by The Payne Fund
, a private foundation. They have been criticized as lacking scientific rigor but were the first attempt to rigorously study the media. They were politically significant and were instrumental in the enforcement of the Hays Code. They are credited with contributing to the demise of Pre-Code film-making in
Hollywood.
, Atlanta Journal, Saint Paul Dispatch
, the Philadelphia Record
and Public Ledger, the Boston American and New York's Daily News, Daily Mirror, and Evening Post
all lambasted the studies.
The Payne Fund
The Payne Study and Experiment Fund was started in 1927 by Frances Payne Bolton to support a study of the influence of pulp fiction on young women. Mrs. Bolton was a wealthy mother who was interested in education and started the fund because she was concerned about the media's influence on...
, a private foundation. They have been criticized as lacking scientific rigor but were the first attempt to rigorously study the media. They were politically significant and were instrumental in the enforcement of the Hays Code. They are credited with contributing to the demise of Pre-Code film-making in
Hollywood.
Reception
Newspapers including The Plain Dealer, New Orleans Times Picayune, Chicago Daily NewsChicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
, Atlanta Journal, Saint Paul Dispatch
Saint Paul Dispatch
The Saint Paul Dispatch was a daily newspaper in Saint Paul, Minnesota from 1868 until 1985. In 1885, The Dispatch Printing Company was formed when George Thompson purchased the Dispatch newspaper. The DPC then bought the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1909 and ran the two newspapers. It was acquired...
, the Philadelphia Record
Record
A recording, Record, Records or The Record may mean:An item or collection of data:* Gramophone record , mechanical analog audio storage medium* Record , a data structure...
and Public Ledger, the Boston American and New York's Daily News, Daily Mirror, and Evening Post
Evening Post
Evening Post may refer to:Newspapers:* Bristol Evening Post* Evening Post, Charleston; now The Post and Courier* New Evening Post * Jersey Evening Post* Lancashire Evening Post* London Evening Post...
all lambasted the studies.
Sources
- Black, Gregory D. Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies. Cambridge University Press (1996); ISBN 0-521-56592-8
- Rodman, George, Mass Media in a Changing World: History, Industry, Controversy, 2nd ed., McGraw Hill; ISBN 0-077-22453-1