1. Censorship in the Media Essay
The parameters of the term censorship have been changed and manipulated very much over the
years. Television and movie ratings have become more lenient against violence and indiscretion
because these things are now seen as entertainment. Is this appropriate for our youth? Should
children be exposed to these images so early on? How does censorship in the media affect
adolescents? Children are the future of our society and need to have some understanding of real
world occurrences. Ultimately, censorship can only be determined by the parents. The media cannot
filter every bit of controversial images. What rights does the media have in this situation? How are
their First Amendment rights applied here? As an aspiring political science...show more content...
Some see this as the denial of an individual's freedom of speech.
In order to establish a group that censors televisions and movies, the Motion Picture Producers
Association (MPAA) was created. Each rating category has a description of the appropriate age at
which to view the film and whether or not a parent's accompaniment is necessary. The Motion
Picture Producers Association assesses a film and gives it a rating of G (general audiences), PG
(parental guidance suggested), PG–13 (parents strongly cautioned), R (restricted), or NC–17 (no one
under seventeen admitted). As the film industry has been changing over time, so have the ratings.
More and more parents are having issues with the ratings that some films are issued. "The man
behind the ratings, Jack Valenti, president of theMotion Picture Association of America(MPAA),
says the system works just fine. 'Parents use it and trust it, and that's why it's lasted for almost 35
years,' Valenti says. 'It warns parents in advance about what's in a particular movie, but ultimately,
parents are responsible for the behavior and conduct of their children – not the ratings system'
(Hansen 273)."
The main issue in censorship today is responsibility. Who is essentially responsible for properly
censoring and controlling
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2. Media Censorship
April 30, 2011
Media Censorship in the United States
Censorship has existed for longer than we could ever imagine. One of the first acts of state
sponsored censorship occurred in 399 B.C. when Socrates, was executed for the "supposed
common good of the people" (Guarding Public Morality, 2010, p.1). Socrates was a teacher and a
philosopher in ancient Greece. His teaching methods were controversial for the time, and he was
charged with corrupting the youth and drawing them away from the Greek religion. As a result of
his actions, Socrates was sentenced to death by drinking a poisonous liquid containing hemlock
(Guarding Public Morality, 2010, p. 1).
As a teacher, Socrates had many students and one of those students, the Greek...show more content...
This increase in violence and aggression leads to more crimes being committed by adults. This
thinking leads to the theory that if there was more censorship, there would be less violence on
television, and there would be less crimes being committed (Arguments Favoring, 2009, p.1). Those
who are for media censorship are mostly conservatives who feel that violence and vulgarity should
not be on the television because a child is likely to accidently or even purposely click over to that
channel. Children's critical thinking skills are not fully developed and they cannot comprehend
information the way that adults do. Essentially, they feel that media censorship is essential in society
to protect children from lost moral values (Arguments Favoring, 2009, p.1). On the other side of the
debate, those against censorship of television feel that it is a violation of the Freedom of Speech
which is the first amendment of the United States Constitution (Anti–Censorship, p.1). They argue
that "Freedom of Speech is a basic human right, and that this should not be eroded or compromised
through censorship in a nation which likes to call itself free" (Wilson, 2010, p.1). They also argue
that the Freedom of Speech was not put into place to protect only the speech that the majority of
people agreed with, rather it was put into place to protect the speech and opinions of all Americans
(Anti–Censorship, p.2). Those against television censorship feel that it is
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3. Media Censorship
Media Censorship is one tool that has been used to suppress ideas, knowledge and opinions around
the world. Governments have used media censorship in varying degrees to control and limit subjects
that they consider sensitive. Abbasi and Al–Shardi (2015) argue that media censorship is a
mechanism to maintain population ignorance in some topics that are used to intimidate
governments. This essay focuses on demonstrate there are more contrasts than similarities between
Iran and Australia and will show how each government controls the information that their population
can or cannot access. Three important topics are explored – media censorship on Internet, media
censorship in Arts and media censorship by the Governments.
When talking about media censorship, the arts are strongly censored. Art has always been strongly
connected with the structure of societies, and often art expresses sensitive ideas. In the 18th century,
access to news or information was not easy as it is nowadays. News and important information
about government and society was only accessed by Kings (Abbasi and Al–Shardi 2015). In Iran
publishing of books is difficult due to control and monitor of the government. Likewise, to read
books or see general arts is also difficult. It could be explained because Iran has its civil laws based
on religion. Censors expend long time searching simple words such as kiss, dance, pork and wine to
ban texts and books only because government consider these words offensive Dehghan
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4. Censorship of Media
Surprises of Censorship In today's world of technology and high finance children learn and do
different activities. Video games, television shows, and the internet all have effect on our society.
These items take away from moral values, and it also undermines the instruction parents give to their
children. We need a healthier world with fewer restrictions, and if negative commodities are
prohibiting children from recreational play parents should be the regulators in what content their
children intake. Concepts of censorship have derived from the Roman practice in which two,
government appointed, officials would conduct a census, supervise the manners, and the morals of
the roman citizens (source 1). Censorship has...show more content...
The violence is no less than propaganda for parents to encourage the censoring of violent games.
Although the gaming industry has grown into a multi million dollar franchise, it preys on the
youth of society to purchase and participate in violence. Computer and video games have become
very popular among children and teens. The age group varies between seven years of age to
sixteen years of age. With that knowledge parents need to partake in purchases made. Doctors
detect threats in frequent gamers with affects such as eye strains, aches of the wrist, neck and back.
Specialists have also confirmed that to much time playing games can cause bad posture and other
disequilibrium in their daily routine. Video games also lead into things such as child obesity which
can lead into diabetes in adulthood. Spending many hours in front of the computer and rather than
socializing cause social problems which could result them in becoming shy and introvert. Apart from
that the games developed currently happen to be a lot more controversial, proving that gamers
actually have a tendency to lose control and become more aggressive. A controversial research
project has proven that excessive playing of games can actually stunt the growth of a human brain.
Brain mapping experts measure the level of brain activity in teenagers playing a Nintendo games and
compared it with those who played other arithmetic games stimulated brain activity in both the left
and
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5. Essay on censorship
"Censorship is the act of suppressing publications, movies, television programs, plays, letters, and
so on that are considered to be obscene, blasphemous, or politically unacceptable" (MccGwire 4).
Censorship should be enforced because it is needed into today's society. Censorship needs to be used
in media, hate speech, and obscene material.
To begin with, the media has very negative effect on society as a whole. "The mass media–movies,
television, and recordings–need to be regulated, and not only because of appeals to irresponsible
lust"(Lowenthal 19). "They have immersed us in violence as well, habituated us to the most extreme
brutality, held it up as a model and surrounded us by images of hateful human...show more content...
It corrupts taste and poisons the imagination" (Kimball 20). Violent video games, movies, and music
lyrics influence people to retaliate against those people that hurt them. In the past few years there
have been a great number of school shootings. Many of these shootings were copied off of famous
movie scenes and video games. These obscene aspects of the media need to be banned from
children. Children are still learning the difference between rights and wrong, therefore adults need to
take on this responsibility of censoring what children watch, read, play with, and listen to.
Hate speech should also be banned. "Free speech has a class line. It also has a class responsibility.
One person's beliefs cannot cross the line into threats of violence. Free speech does not cover that"
(Albano 31). "Those institutions most concerned with social fairness have proven to be the ones
most likely to promulgate anti–hate–speech rules" (Albano 30). "Part of the reason seems to be
recognition that hate speech can easily silence and demoralize its victims, discouraging them from
participating in the life of the institution"(Albano 30). "If so, enacting hate–speech rules may be
evidence of a commitment to democratic dialogue, rather than the opposite, as some their opponents
maintain" (Albano 30). People should not have to put up with harassment by others. People should
not have to constantly live in the state of fear because others are threatening them;
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