Discuss the arguments used to encourage media censorship as well as the anti-censorship view.

1. Discuss the arguments used to encourage media censorship as well as the anti-censorship view. Do you agree or disagree with censorship concerning terrorism? Explain.

President Donald Trump is one of the many individuals who believe the media should be censored (Graham, 2017). After the massacre in Las Vegas and visiting Puerto Rico after they were hit by Hurricane Maria President Trump remained silent on social media platforms. He spoke out against the media stating that many of the allegations that were being made against him were lies and fake stories. Censorship will protect the government and the people from false news. It is normal to go on social media and find articles that are spreading propaganda because they are allowed to and it gets them money. The media should be censored to an extent in order to protect young adults and children. Children should not be able to find and access pornsites as easy as they do now. While in their learning years, they are more likely to engage in practices whether violent or nonviolent due to their exposure to the behavior.

Censorship could be a tricky solution because it goes against freedom of speech and may cause issues for forms of media where censorship may destroy their platform. Platforms like these include porn, news outlets, debate platforms, and more. I agree with the anti-censorship argument due to the jobs it may affect if put into place. There are many people who work in the sex industry and pay their taxes just like everyone else. In my own experience, social media outlets such as Face Book attempt to censor information on their platform, but they may not be able to control everything that is put out on their platform. People should have access to information that keeps them updated on what is going on in their country. Another problem with censorship is misleading information. When people are not aware of what it is going on, they have to believe what is being allowed to be shown to them (Burnett, 2015).

Burnett, D. (2015, May 22). Why government censorship [in no way at all] carries greater risks than benefits | Dean Burnett. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/may/22/government-censorship-psychology-theresa-may

Graham, D. A. (2017, October 11). Trump Wants to Censor the Media. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/trump-wants-to-censor-the-press/542142/

Second reply to student Jessica

1. Discuss the arguments used to encourage media censorship as well as the anti-censorship view. Do you agree or disagree with censorship concerning terrorism? Explain.

Media Censorship

Media censorship can be defined as a supervision or control of both information and ideas that are shared among people within a society. In other words it is considered an act of altering, adjusting, editing or even banning specific types of information that is perceived as illicit, immoral or objectionable. The spread of information typically is done through a variety of means however I am going to just focus on the media which involves the internet, News outlets, television and the radio. Facebook serves as an excellent example of this because at one point in time everything was not being monitored or censored. Today you still might see things that are considered inappropriate material especially for children. I remember one incident pretty clearly that involved the Night Club terrorist attack in Orlando. Many people shared small clips or scenes as the attack was actually happening. Another incident that was shared on Facebook was the Nevada attack when a man shot at people from outside his hotel room. People began spreading these videos all over social media and you could almost put yourself in their shoes as the entire thing went down. Many people were seen running and screaming and you even some dropping dead. It was extremely scary and horrific to watch. However not long after Facebook caught on to the spread of these incidents and immediately shut it down.

What is being censored?

• Speech
• Art
• Books
• Periodicals (published with set frequency)
• Films
• Plays
• Photography
• Television programs
• Radio programs
• Internet (Web sites and e-mail)
• News reports

Who censors the information?

• Government
• Church
• Private Pressure Groups
• Speakers, Writers and Artists (self-censorship)
• Anyone

Anti-Censorship

Anti-censorship is very opposite from censorship as this actually opposes censorship and allows our society freedom of expression.  Therefore this would allow for graphic material to be seen on media outlets without having any restraints. I remember a time before Facebook actually offered censorship and people were sharing horrific events of special needs children being bullied, or cats and dogs being tortured. It was absolutely sickening and quite honestly I thank Facebook for removing this type of material. I do not think anyone especially children should be seeing such hateful events.

With that being said I do think that we should be allowed to share information that is relevant to educational purposes that could potentially save someone’s life one day. When pertaining to terrorism I am tossed between whether or not censorship should be allowed when concerning terrorism. Considering we live in a free country I think we deserve the right to know what is going on through the media outlets. Besides free speech “idealists argue that the solution to bad speech (misinformation, lies, abusive, language, etc.) is not censorship but more speech” (Forum, 2017) However with that being said I do not necessarily think we should be viewing some of the graphic material from the incident through these outlets or at least it shouldn’t be exposed in outlets where children could be viewing it. I think we still need to protect children from hearing or seeing this type of information.

Reference

Censorship. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://media.okstate.edu/faculty/jsenat/censorship/defining.htm

Forum, U. O. (2017, March 10). Censorship Is Not All Bad. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-university-of-central-florida-forum/censorship-is-not-all-bad_b_9417646.html

Reply to professor

Granted, there should be some level of government involvement regarding a determination of what is to be censored and what is not. However, does the ultimate responsibility of that decision lie with the government, or should it be a personal decision made by the parent or guardian? Elaborate, if you will, on what avenues of dissemination are available in today’s world that could possibly make Plato’s Arguments moot in today’s society.