The document discusses censorship methods in China, including legislative, political, psychological, and technological prior restraints to control freedom of speech. It censors communication, entertainment, news, religion, and foreign material to prevent anti-government ideas and keep China's history from the people. The effects are that the Chinese people know little of outside events and begin censoring themselves. The author believes censorship limits creativity and that a society forced to stop wrong actions may stop all actions.

1. Censorship in China

2. Methods of Censorship
“Legislative Prior Restraints - Administrative barriers to control freedom of
speech, for instance the requirement for Chinese citizens to receive
permission to publish information (licensing schemes).
Political Prior Restraints - Forbidden topics are sent out to editors by the
Communist Party regularly. Common forbidden topics include
constitutional amendments, political reform and the Tiananmen Square
events.
Psychological Prior Restraints - The Chinese government uses vague and
broad laws on censorship to control opinions and expressions and
encourage self-censorship.
Technological Prior Restraints – Authorities in China use technology to
block, filter and monitor information and opinions in various media
outlets, including the internet, satellite television and radio.”[1]

3. Reasons for Censorship
The People's Republic of China (PRC) censors
almost all types of communication and
entertainment within their borders.
It helps them to prevent religious ideas, anything
that will serve to go against the government or
economy, to keep the people from learning about
past failures of communism, and to prevent the
people from learning about different forms of
government.

4. Examples of Censorship the News
During the Beijing Olympic games, the media
were given specific instructions to not report about
anything unrelated to the games.
On June 4th, 1983, there was a protest against the
government. There has been many times where
anything regarding this protest has been
censored. Even going as far as to limit the times
the number four could be used on the twelfth
anniversary.

5. Entertainment
The PRC censors any foreign material.
● There are over 18,000 websites blocked.
● Only twenty foreign films are cleared per year for
official place in the country, and many have
scenes deleted.
● Many TV shows have sections that are blacked
out.
● Many video games are banned, though there are
ways around those bans.

6. Religion
The PRC is officially an atheist country, though it
is home to many different religions.
The bible is allowed to print, but only in a set
amount per year, and from a single printing press.
The Falun Gong religion is strictly forbidden, the
members have been tortured and killed.

7. The Effects
First of all, the shallowest effect is that the people
of China know very little concerning what is
happening outside their country.
Second, the people are beginning to censor
themselves.

8. My thoughts on Censorship
I believe that censorship is bad. It limits a
civilization's ability to create. In order to learn how
to build something good, you must first learn the
proper way of doing it, and then learn how not to
do it.
When a society is forced to stop doing something
that is morally incorrect, they will stop doing
anything.