When AFF Director Jack Sonnemann was in Wagga Wagga NSW (see insert) The National Newsagent Magazine explained to an enquirer about their new policy on the display and sale of smut magazines like Picture, Penthouse, Hustler etc. The newsagent does not have to display or sell any magazine sent to them. They do have to accept delivery of magazines in lots that may contain Women’s Day, Car and Driver, and Penthouse but if they do not want to display or sell Penthouse they simply keep them in the back room, send them back to the distributor (which is exactly what they do with all unsold newspapers) and the distributor simply refunds the money.
Although their new “official policy” is that newsagents should sell even magazines to which they have a conscientious objection, the newsagent cannot be forced to display or sell anything they do not want to! Unfortunately, the waiting time for their refund is 60 days. However, if a distributor sees that a particular newsagent always sends back all of the copies of People, Penthouse, etc, the distributor will see that it is in his best interests to no longer send those magazines to that retailer. Understand?
Please speak to your local smut peddler and ask if they will please stop selling pornography in your community. Not only is it objectionable, degrades ALL women and gives all Australians, especially children, a false, callous and hypersexualised view of women, pornography causes rape – it is no longer arguable.
The 60-day wait for a refund is a real sacrifice, so please support any newsagencies or shops that take a pro-family, pro-child stand.
Get the local churches and business groups to frequent their shop and perhaps, as others are doing, get the Mayor (or an MP...or your club...or…?) to publicly present an award to the shop as a “Family Friendly” shop. That will get the Mayor’s picture in the paper (you’ll have a friend for life) and will show the community that someone actually cares about what is displayed to, sold to and accessed by Aussie kids.
ACTION: Speak nicely to a local smut shop and encourage them to stop selling smut. Once they do, please let us know so it becomes a national event and the shop is rewarded by an increase in their sales.