Censorship in the Media By Terence J. Grant

Censorship: Argument Against We think of censorship in terms of a person or group trying to “maintaining decency” or “hide filth” Which is largely and correctly viewed as introducing personal biases to, “dumbing down of” and defacement of messages In terms of art, education, and news, censorship is unacceptable Changing the message almost always perverts the message In this case, censorship is used to “hide the truth”

We think of censorship in terms of a person or group trying to “maintaining decency” or “hide filth”

Which is largely and correctly viewed as introducing personal biases to, “dumbing down of” and defacement of messages

In terms of art, education, and news, censorship is unacceptable

Changing the message almost always perverts the message

In this case, censorship is used to “hide the truth”

Censorship: Argument For There is a case to be made for the sake of the children, but that’s tired and clichéd, so let’s take another approach… What if censorship became a useful tool? Then used properly, it can help keep a message pure of distractions For example, which is better at getting the message across? “ Too much shit fucks up meaning.” --Or-- “ Meaning can be lost when the message is unclear.”

There is a case to be made for the sake of the children, but that’s tired and clichéd, so let’s take another approach…

What if censorship became a useful tool?

Then used properly, it can help keep a message pure of distractions

For example, which is better at getting the message across?

“ Too much shit fucks up meaning.”

--Or--

“ Meaning can be lost when the message is unclear.”

Censorship: Argument For Both “mean” the same thing, but the perceived attitudes and personality in the statements are much different You may lose part or all of your audience if they infer a personality from the written word that clashes with theirs The latter has less “personality” and broader appeal, but can still lose an audience as “boring”

Both “mean” the same thing, but the perceived attitudes and personality in the statements are much different

You may lose part or all of your audience if they infer a personality from the written word that clashes with theirs

The latter has less “personality” and broader appeal, but can still lose an audience as “boring”

Censorship: Theory If media controls all aspects of life… … Then censorship, particularly when it’s used to control the content, attitude, and personality of a message… … Has a big impact on all messages… … Which in turn, affects the media as a whole… … And thus is a large contributor to media’s control.

If media controls all aspects of life…

… Then censorship, particularly when it’s used to control the content, attitude, and personality of a message…

… Has a big impact on all messages…

… Which in turn, affects the media as a whole…

… And thus is a large contributor to media’s control.

Censorship: Historical Concept Derives from Roman practices in which two officials were appointed to conduct a census, award contracts, and supervise manners and morals Today censorship’s scope in regards to media is that of excluding topics, social groups, and language from broadcasted content

Derives from Roman practices in which two officials were appointed to conduct a census, award contracts, and supervise manners and morals

Today censorship’s scope in regards to media is that of excluding topics, social groups, and language from broadcasted content

Censorship Motivation Still highly prevalent in Television Motivation for censorship comes from familiar sources: Military Political Religious Corporate

Still highly prevalent in Television

Motivation for censorship comes from familiar sources:

Military

Political

Religious

Corporate

Censorship: Military During the “Desert Storm”/“Gulf War” perhaps the most famous example of a clash between journalists and the United States government Before starting a story, the Department of Defense required all journalists to sign off on a set of “Ground Rules” After the story was completed, the photos and text were subject to U.S. or allied military censorship

During the “Desert Storm”/“Gulf War” perhaps the most famous example of a clash between journalists and the United States government

Before starting a story, the Department of Defense required all journalists to sign off on a set of “Ground Rules”

After the story was completed, the photos and text were subject to U.S. or allied military censorship

Censorship: Military Case study: David Turnley, a photographer for the Detroit Free Press, takes a series of photos from inside an ambush of U.S. soldiers Although most of his photos don’t make it back to the United States due to the U.S. Government’s fear of the message, one does make it after all A photo which depicts a soldier who has just realized his best friend was killed after an ambush

Case study:

David Turnley, a photographer for the Detroit Free Press, takes a series of photos from inside an ambush of U.S. soldiers

Although most of his photos don’t make it back to the United States due to the U.S. Government’s fear of the message, one does make it after all

A photo which depicts a soldier who has just realized his best friend was killed after an ambush

Censorship: Military

Censorship: Military Pictures like this and others show a few things: Censorship is not absolute Perception of the U.S. Government is that there’s something “to hide” Debate is sparked not only on media, but whether the war is even justified As a result, the U.S. Government has loosened their grip somewhat on the media And this is almost the complete opposite of what they wished to accomplish with censorship

Pictures like this and others show a few things:

Censorship is not absolute

Perception of the U.S. Government is that there’s something “to hide”

Debate is sparked not only on media, but whether the war is even justified

As a result, the U.S. Government has loosened their grip somewhat on the media

And this is almost the complete opposite of what they wished to accomplish with censorship

Censorship: Political Universities are hotbeds for political activism Occasionally this leads to battles between the college administration board and student groups An examination of a person’s morals is typically involved in which “side” to take on censorship issues in politics Who is “correct” is largely dependent on your belief system

Universities are hotbeds for political activism

Occasionally this leads to battles between the college administration board and student groups

An examination of a person’s morals is typically involved in which “side” to take on censorship issues in politics

Who is “correct” is largely dependent on your belief system

Censorship: Political Case study: Activism group Students Confronting Apartheid in Israel (SCAI) had a photo exhibit approved for their cause by Stanford University Two days after the exhibit went up, it was pulled without notifying SCAI SCAI organizes a protest, resulting in perhaps more awareness than a photo exhibit, but also resulting in conflict between students and administration

Case study:

Activism group Students Confronting Apartheid in Israel (SCAI) had a photo exhibit approved for their cause by Stanford University

Two days after the exhibit went up, it was pulled without notifying SCAI

SCAI organizes a protest, resulting in perhaps more awareness than a photo exhibit, but also resulting in conflict between students and administration

Censorship: Political Student protesters at an SCAI rally, April 21 st , 2008

Censorship: Religious Religious censorship tends to take the form of destruction Book burnings occurring throughout history include such incidents as: Burning of Jewish Holy books by the monarch Antiochus IV Egyptian Alchemy books were burned by Emperor Diocletian in 292 A.D. Comic books were burned in West Viriginia and New York in 1948 All under the guise of the will of God

Religious censorship tends to take the form of destruction

Book burnings occurring throughout history include such incidents as:

Burning of Jewish Holy books by the monarch Antiochus IV

Egyptian Alchemy books were burned by Emperor Diocletian in 292 A.D.

Comic books were burned in West Viriginia and New York in 1948

All under the guise of the will of God

Censorship: Religious Case Study: The “Bonfire of the Vanities” was an art destruction movement during the Renaissance era headed by priest Girolamo Savonarola Vanities – paintings, mirrors, make-up, and musical instruments were thrown into massive fires, as they would “tempt one to sin” Some artists were even compelled to throw their own works into the fire Result: Religious leaders can be powerful influences

Case Study:

The “Bonfire of the Vanities” was an art destruction movement during the Renaissance era headed by priest Girolamo Savonarola

Vanities – paintings, mirrors, make-up, and musical instruments were thrown into massive fires, as they would “tempt one to sin”

Some artists were even compelled to throw their own works into the fire

Result: Religious leaders can be powerful influences

Censorship: Religious Agostino di Duccio, Bonfire of the Vanities, c. 1457-1462

Censorship: Corporate Corporate censorship comes in a different form altogether For instance, in the form of advertisement dollars, they completely control the mediums of radio and television In a medium they don’t completely control, like the Internet, they use lawyers and “cease and desist” notices So if they don’t like a message, image, person, or theme, they can literally shut it down immediately

Corporate censorship comes in a different form altogether

For instance, in the form of advertisement dollars, they completely control the mediums of radio and television

In a medium they don’t completely control, like the Internet, they use lawyers and “cease and desist” notices

So if they don’t like a message, image, person, or theme, they can literally shut it down immediately

Censorship: Corporate Case study: In November 2008, Toyota sent “cease and desist” orders to websites like DesktopNexus claiming ownership of fan created artwork of their cars The media jumped on the story, and there was a major backlash on news discussion websites such as Slashdot and Digg Result: Before 72 hours had even passed, Toyota admitted wrongdoing and retracted the order The Internet isn’t easy to censor

Case study:

In November 2008, Toyota sent “cease and desist” orders to websites like DesktopNexus claiming ownership of fan created artwork of their cars

The media jumped on the story, and there was a major backlash on news discussion websites such as Slashdot and Digg

Result: Before 72 hours had even passed, Toyota admitted wrongdoing and retracted the order

The Internet isn’t easy to censor

Censorship: Corporate A fan created Toyota Yaris image Toyota claimed was their property

Censorship: Why do we still do it? From an anti-censorship perspective, there appear to be more potential dangers than benefits inherit in allowing censorship to continue Loss of art Forced Vandalism However, if we get rid of censorship altogether, we lose an important tool for guiding ourselves as well Lose our message Lose our audience So censoring censorship itself is just as bad

From an anti-censorship perspective, there appear to be more potential dangers than benefits inherit in allowing censorship to continue

Loss of art

Forced Vandalism

However, if we get rid of censorship altogether, we lose an important tool for guiding ourselves as well

Lose our message

Lose our audience

So censoring censorship itself is just as bad

References Censorship, by R. Worringham & R. Buxton, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:15pm http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/censorship/censorship.htm Media Ethics Issues and Cases, 2nd ed. edited by Philip Patterson and Lee Wilkins, Madison, WI: WCB Brown & Benchmark, 1994, pp. 212-215 Political Censorship at Stanford U., by S.U.Connected, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:19pm http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/21/18494315.php SavanaRola: Lighter of the Bonfire of the Vanities, by R. Russell, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:20pm http://www.helium.com/items/489922-savanarola-lighter-of-the-bonfire-of-the-vanities Toyota demands wallpapers be removed from Desktopnexus, by M. Humphries, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:22pm http://www.geek.com/articles/news/toyota-demands-wallpapers-be-removed-from-desktopnexus-20081118/ Toyota Admits Wrongdoing in Wallpaper Case, by B. Jones, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:24pm http://torrentfreak.com/toyta-admits-wrongdoing-in-wallpaper-case-081120/

Censorship, by R. Worringham & R. Buxton, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:15pm

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/censorship/censorship.htm

Media Ethics Issues and Cases, 2nd ed. edited by Philip Patterson and Lee Wilkins, Madison, WI: WCB Brown & Benchmark, 1994, pp. 212-215

Political Censorship at Stanford U., by S.U.Connected, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:19pm

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/04/21/18494315.php

SavanaRola: Lighter of the Bonfire of the Vanities, by R. Russell, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:20pm

http://www.helium.com/items/489922-savanarola-lighter-of-the-bonfire-of-the-vanities

Toyota demands wallpapers be removed from Desktopnexus, by M. Humphries, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:22pm

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/toyota-demands-wallpapers-be-removed-from-desktopnexus-20081118/

Toyota Admits Wrongdoing in Wallpaper Case, by B. Jones, retrieved Thursday November 20, 2008 10:24pm

http://torrentfreak.com/toyta-admits-wrongdoing-in-wallpaper-case-081120/