A system of self-regulation and shared responsibility were David Cameron's messages for a group of British Society of Magazine Editors' members last week.
Cameron said that magazines are vital to today's politicians and that their brands were more trusted than those of political parties. But he added: "Some people get hot under the collar about some of the things magazines publish, especially magazines aimed at children.
I'll nail my colours to the mast — I can get uncomfortable with some of the material I see.
"But it's one thing for a politician to say these are my concerns and another to say there should be regulations.
I think things are better than they used to be in the 1990s when there was a huge row over the stuff about sex in teen magazines, and as a result the industry created the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel — from what I can see, TMAP doesn't seem to be as active PPA: concerns over magazine distrubution under market rules and there are a falling number of complaints."
TMAP received only one complaint about the content of teen mags last year, according to its latest report.
Cameron caused controversy when he suggested that Tim Westwood's show on Radio 1 contributed to gun crime.
He said: "It's [about] saying to Radio 1, ‘Do you realise that some of the stuff you play is actually encouraging people to carry guns and knives?'"
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