News Corp., being very proactive to protect its jewel of the web MySpace.com, has teamed up with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Advertising Council to provide public service announcement (PSA) banner ads promoting online safety across MySpace.com and other Fox media.
The distribution of PSAs is part of an ongoing Ad Council campaign. The ads are designed to raise awareness about Internet safety, to educate parents and guardians about measures they can take to better protect their children online, and to educate teens on how to be smart and maintain safe online relationships
The Associated Press reports that banner ads began appearing on MySpace on Monday that read:
“1 in 5 kids online is sexually solicited. Online predators know what they’re doing. Do you?”
The PSAs direct parents, guardians, and teens to visit www.cybertipline.com to learn about safe and responsible use of the Internet, as well as how to report threats.
News Corp. has donated a slew of media space and time to the effort. Advertisements are set to appear on FOX, on the 28 Fox Networks Group broadcast, cable and satellite services, FX, National Geographic channel, Fox Movie Channel, Fox Reality, FUEL TV, FSN, SPEED, Fox College Sports Atlantic, Fox College Sports Central, Fox College Sports Pacific, Fox Soccer Channel and (in Spanish) on Fox Sports en Espanol, Fox All Access radio, the New York Post, and websites .MySpace, FoxSports.com, IGN.com, Fox.com, AmericanIdol.com, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen.
“We are grateful to News Corporation for their generous commitment of donated advertising time and space to this important campaign. Their support in media frequented by our target audience will go a long way to getting this important message out to teens and their parents,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Advertising Council.
“Since its inception MySpace has worked with law enforcement to aid in the protection of teens and help find runaways,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “So, this partnership makes a lot of sense on many levels given NCMEC’s position as the premier organization in helping find and protect children.”
In a separate announcement, News Corp. brought onboard Microsoft’s Hemanshu Nigam to oversee saftety, education, and privacy programs and law enforcement affairs at MySpace. An attorney, Nigam has worked as Director of Consumer Security Outreach & Child Safe Computing for Microsoft, served as a prosecutor against child exploitation for the Justice Dept., and has been an advisor the White House on cyberstalking.
