About The Free Radical
This site, based in Toronto, Ontario, is operated by anti-violence activist, Valerie Smith. It provides information on various aspects of the media violence problem, with a particular emphasis on the mistreatment of girls and women in popular culture, and suggestions for trying to combat it.
Click here for background and activist highlights.
Save time and effort
This site was created for people wishing to get involved. It is a mini library of information on media violence, past and present. A good 
place for Canadians to start is with the Action Agenda: A Strategic Blueprint for Reducing Exposure to Media Violence in Canada.
The Action Agenda was published in 2004 and there have, obviously, 
been some changes since then, but if you're new to the issue, reading it will save you a lot of time and effort. The section on Supreme Court of Canada decisions is especially important to understanding freedom of expression rights and restrictions in Canada. Past initiatives from provincial and federal politicians, and the regulatory framework are also useful.
Other than that, there is a hodge podge of information on various aspects of the entertainment industry -- newspaper and magazine articles, research documents and links to web sites.
The Free Radical has been redesigned
The web site has recently been redesigned and is, hopefully, more informative and functional.
I hope you find it useful.
Valerie Smith
Toronto, Ontario
valsmith@thefreeradical.ca
Site last updated: August 18, 2010
Media violence research
A wealth of research has been conducted on this issue. Visit the Research section for articles and links to useful web sites.
Violence in the Media Coalition
Formed under the auspices of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association, Ontario's Violence in the Media Coalition brings together an impressive and influential group of teachers, school trustees, law enforcement and others, to work on educational and legislative intiatives.