Censorship Inc

Soley shows how as corporate power has grown and come to influence the issues on which ordinary Americans should be able to speak out, so new strategies have developed to restrict free speech on issues in which corporations and property-owners have an interest.

From the Publisher: Censorship is part of the Global Issues series, which is designed to be a first-stop resource for research on the key challenges facing the world today. Each volume contains three sections, beginning with an introduction that clearly defines the issue, followed by detailed case studies of the issue's impact in the United States and several other countries or regions. The second section draws together significant U.S. and international primary source documents, and the third section gathers useful research tools such as brief biographies, facts and figures, an annotated bibliography, and more. A foreword written by an expert in the field complements each volume. A chronology, glossary, and index provide additional help. Censorship suppresses human expression. It can be a means of limiting public dissension from an authoritarian and/or unpopular government; a method for protecting religious dogma from heresy, whether perceived or real; and a way of imposing a set of standards on communities or individuals. On the other hand, censorship, in the forms of film ratings, v-chips, and Internet filters, upholds parental authority. Thus, censorship is viewed both as evil and as a tool against evil. Even in the 21st century, with its emphasis on information and globalization, and with an electronic technology that disregards borders, censorship continues to dictate the lives of many. Providing a comprehensive overview of the different forms that censorship can take, this book examines the history and current practices of censorship in five countries-the United States, Russia, China, Zimbabwe, and Egypt-and discusses key counterstrategies. Parts II and III of the book include primary source documents relating to censorship in these five countries; biographical information on key figures whose lives were, or are, linked with censorship; and a list of U.S. and international organizations and agencies that monitor and publicize censorship activity, provide legal assistance, and develop counterstrategies. An annotated bibliography, a glossary, and a chronology complete this invaluable resource.

Censorship! The word itself sparks debate, especially when the context is the public school. Since the publication of the second edition of this landmark book in 1993, wired classrooms, legal challenges, and societal shifts have changed the landscape for the free exchange of ideas. Completely revised and updated, this new edition remains the most comprehensive guide for protecting the freedom to read in schools: For school librarians and media specialists, teachers, and administrators, Reichman covers the different media (including books, school newspapers, and the Internet), the important court cases (including recent litigations involving Harry Potter, the Internet, and Huck Finn), the issues in dispute (including violence, religion, and profanity), and how the laws on the books can be incorporated into selection policies. An entire chapter is devoted to troubleshooting and answering the question of What do we do if...? Look no further for the best and most specific information on providing access and facing challenges to intellectual freedom. You'll find answers if you are asking questions like these: * What is the distinction between making selection decisions and censoring?

A collection of essays confronting the censorship issue, including six authors' views and defenses of individual books.

First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

HATE dispels misunderstandings plaguing our perennial debates about "hate speech vs. free speech," showing that the First Amendment approach promotes free speech and democracy, equality, and societal harmony. We hear too many incorrect assertions that "hate speech" -- which has no generally accepted definition -- is either absolutely unprotected or absolutely protected from censorship. Rather, U.S. law allows government to punish hateful or discriminatory speech in specific contexts when it directly causes imminent serious harm. Yet, government may not punish such speech solely because its message is disfavored, disturbing, or vaguely feared to possibly contribute to some future harm. When U.S. officials formerly wielded such broad censorship power, they suppressed dissident speech, including equal rights advocacy. Likewise, current politicians have attacked Black Lives Matter protests as "hate speech." "Hate speech" censorship proponents stress the potential harms such speech might further: discrimination, violence, and psychic injuries. However, there has been little analysis of whether censorship effectively counters the feared injuries. Citing evidence from many countries, this book shows that "hate speech" laws are at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive. Their inevitably vague terms invest enforcing officials with broad discretion, and predictably, regular targets are minority views and speakers. Therefore, prominent social justice advocates in the U.S. and beyond maintain that the best way to resist hate and promote equality is not censorship, but rather, vigorous "counterspeech" and activism.

Readers will explore the issues surrounding censorship through this collection of essays that present diversity of opinion, including both conservative and liberal points of view in an even balance. Readers will evaluate the role of parents and the government in censorship. They will evaluate talk radio, Hollywood, the Internet, television, and publishing in relation to censorship practices. Essay sources include Brian Jennings, Elliot Schrage, Nick Gillespie, Jesse Walker, and the Parents Television Council.

David Marr is the rarest of breeds: one of Australia’s most unflinching, forensic reporters of political controversy, and one of its most subtle and eloquent biographers. In Marr’s hands, those things we call reportage and commentary are elevated to artful and illuminating chronicles of our time. My Country collects his powerful reflections on religion, sex, censorship and the law; striking accounts of leaders, moralists and scandalmongers; elegant ruminations on the arts and the lives of artists. And some memorable new pieces. ‘My country is the subject that interests me most and I have spent my career trying to untangle it’s mysteries.’ –David Marr.