Who’s responsible for keeping kids safe and healthy in a world saturated by mass media? That was one of the difficult questions tackled by an impressive array of heavy-hitters from media, academia and government in this week’s “Beyond Primetime” conference in New York. Not surprisingly, a definitive answer didn’t emerge, and in fact there were far more questions posed than answers given. But the panelists and sponsoring organizations—Common Sense Media and Aspen Institute—gave it a commendable go and delivered compelling discussion, provocative insight and at least some common ground of agreement.

“It would be wrong-headed of me or (fellow panelists Les Moonves and Harvey Weinstein) to say our job is to enforce a moral construct as to what’s appropriate for America to see,” said Time Warner’s Richard Parsons on the “What is the Responsibility of Media Leaders?” panel. It was one of several variations of the we-give-consumers-what-they-want answer heard throughout the conference. In Monday’s opening panel, for instance, Comcast’s Brian Roberts noted that ratings for “E! True Hollywood Story” are twice as high for episodes in which the Hollywood subject dies or suffers some tragic fate than for episodes with happier endings.

Viewers’ tastes notwithstanding, the media execs acknowledged their companies are obligated, as Parsons put it, “to not promote things that tear at the fabric of society, have no redeeming social value and tend to drag everything down.” Of course, specific content falling into such a category is highly subjective, most panelists agreed.

They tended to also agree that responsibility for ensuring proper use of mass media among children should be shared by a combination of at least parents, corporations and government, although there was little consensus on who bears primary responsibility. Sarah Brown of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy suggested it was up to companies, declaring that parents are David vs. the Goliath of big media corporations. Media execs pointed to parents: “They have to get up to speed,” Weinstein said. “Parents, you’ve got to spend time with your kids. We can’t do it for you.” What media companies can do, all agreed, is to provide information and tools to help parents make the most informed decisions for their families.

With FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Deborah Taylor Tate in attendance, the media execs admitted they are nervous about censorship. “We’re still being blamed for Janet Jackson” and the Super Bowl ‘wardrobe malfunction,’ Moonves said. “Thank God Prince kept his clothes on” in Sunday’s Super Bowl, he added to laughter. Moonves admitted the hefty indecency fines imposed by the FCC are having a “chilling” impact on development of programming, citing network affiliates’ reluctance to air “Saving Private Ryan” and CBS’s 9/11 documentary out of fear of being fined for the coarse language.

Indicating that Washington will continue holding media companies accountable, Commissioner Copps said he sees “a new serious bipartisan interest in tackling this issue. My friends, take heed of this: If you don’t want it fixed in D.C., you’d better come up with solutions now.” Copps said he advocates government-imposed K-12 media literacy education that “teaches children how to use media, but also how media uses them.” Other panelists—academics, especially—applauded that idea, although Commissioner Tate indicated she was unlikely to support a government-funded program, preferring instead to work through organizations like the PTA to provide such education.

The clearest agreement of the day was on a decidedly frightening conclusion: kids hold the power, particularly when it comes to the Internet. “My kids speak a language I don’t speak. The Internet has changed the balance of things,” said speaker Liz Perle of Common Sense Media. Dr. Thomas Robinson cited research that found parents have little power in dictating media use in the home because children tend to be far more tech savvy than their parents. What that means, he stressed, is that you must directly work through kids to bring their parents up to speed. “Once kids are on board they can bring their parents along.”

Earlier, an eighth-grader covering the event as a reporter for Children’s PressLine chided the conference organizers for not including children on any panels. The audience applauded his suggestion, as did Common Sense Media CEO and founder James Steyer, who promised young voices would be heard—and heeded—at the next conference.