Anyone else bothered by magazine covers in supermarkets unsuitable for children

[Howgoesthework]

Hi all, just seeing if any other people are bothered by the front covers of magazines like Take A Break or Chat in supermarkets?

I've complained in my local Tesco's three times now about front pages with stories like 'My poor brother TORTURED TO DEATH in homemade horror film - His throat was slit for the camera TWICE' or 'We found poor Mum CHOPPED UP in the kitchen BIN' (and these aren't the worst headlines by any means). They have moved them up one level, and they are still completely visible to my 12yo, 9yo and 5yo. (Not such a problem for the youngest as he won't be reading it yet, but for the other two?!)

I really want to change this but I don't know what to do. I currently turn the magazines round or put them right at the top behind others, and I'm considering taking direct action with a marker pen if they don't sort this out.

Does anyone else have a problem with this, and if so, what do you do? The supermarket obviously makes enough money out of them not to care about the odd complaint, but I find it completely unacceptable.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the replies and ideas. I wasn’t sure what to do (yes I agree with whoever said no criminal damage with a marker pen!) but think that a change.org petition might work. Or if anyone is up for organising a mumsnet campaign, probably that’s even better. It will take me a bit of time to look into a petition but I’ll post once I get somewhere. I did contact Take a Break and they offered to contact the store itself but that is only one place out of 1000’s so it doesn’t address it in any meaningful way imo. I’ll also contact my local MP Norman Lamb who is quite good at engaging about things like this. If anyone else wants to do similar/suggest any coordinated action I reckon we might get somewhere :)

If you fold a sheet of A4 paper in half and place it in front, the title will still show but not the worst of the headlines. And its not criminal damage.

I agree with you. Reading Roald dahl is one thing. Seeing that this sort of thing happens in real life - then is written about gleefully in a magazine - some of those headlines are horrible - is something else. You could write to the magazine publisher too?

Good idea UpstartCrow :)

eelbecomingforyou I did contact Take a Break but it maybe would need more than just one complaint for it to be taken seriously.

Who decides what mag goes where in the shop though... supermarket or publisher? My local branch is over the road from my daughters primary school, so hundreds of kids go in there on a daily basis, so it was easier for them to see that I had a point. Might not be so easy in other branches. I guess they could have 'family friendly' aisles, where they don't have horrific magazines promoted.

I understood from the Tesco manager that they had to put certain magazines at certain levels contractually, which is one reason a modesty cover could be a doable solution as it doesn’t challenge anything except the issue of children and people generally having to see the stories on the front page.

“Eaten alive by mum’s dogs”......... adjacent headline “How to wear animal print” . FWIW OP I agree, my 5yo doesn’t need to read this. I’d sign a petition.

I’ll contact my MP.

I agree with you. DD used to get terribly upset by this sort of thing when she was younger. I complained to the shop manager and they were moved for a short time but ended up back where they started, at the end of a checkout and the ideal height for a primary school child to be staring straight at them. We avoided that aisle, or did not go out of it in the direction where she'd be facing them but it was a pain. It's nothing like the news, which is presented in a much soberer way. I would certainly sign a petition though it no longer affects me directly.

I agree, but actually its not just children who may be upset, I hate them too and find them upsetting!

I agree. This has always bothered me. They are right at the till point at my local shop and my son can read every word. I know I can’t shelter him from everything all the time but these headlines are just extreme and very frightening

If you start a petition OP, can you add it to this thread so that it shows up in the 'I'm on' section?

Yes hipposeleven I will definitely do that.

This thread gives me hope in humanity!!

Moononthehill I feel the same :)

I contacted Norman Lamb and he’s writing to the Secretary of State to find out who’s responsible for this which will take a couple of weeks. Then depending on what he says I’ll possibly create a petition but I need to know who to address it to.

So if you’re interested in signing a petition or being involved please check this thread when I post next.

Thanks for the agreement and support to take this further :)

That's fantastic, Howgoesthework! Good to hear about MPs responding to constituents' concerns.

I will happily sign a petition. Good for you!

Just wondered if others on this thread could post a photo and location where they see these magazines displayed where kids can read them, like these in Stalham Tesco? Not to get riled at the headlines again, more to show it’s an issue across the board, not just the odd shop.

Yes! I will take one next time I go to Sainsbury's.

Good idea How, I have never uploaded a photo to MN but will give it a go.

I hadn’t before either but I reckon if I can manage it, pretty much anyone else could too :)

Coop

Thanks foldingtable, nicely positioned just above the kids magazine