Blue and Grey

Censorship in China

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.