The boundaries that have always been in place on the world, as far as communication, entertainment, and media are concerned, are slowly lifting away. We have the freedom to say, think, and believe whatever we would like, but should some things be left unsaid? This is where the question about media censorship comes into play. Media censorship is when the things that are allowed to be broadcasted, televised, or published are monitored by the government. This is done for many different reasons, including to prevent negative propaganda from spreading in our country. Let’s explore this argument from both sides of the fence by examining the pros and cons.
Pros of Media Censorship
Save The Children
Censoring extremely violent or pornographic material is beneficial, particularly to children. With the ease of access to all sorts of media, children can easily fall prey to this sort of content. Censoring it would allow children to use the internet and watch television without the worry of corruption.
Advertisements Are Limited
Advertisements for products that are harmful to a person’s health can be censored, or rather limited. This may help to stop epidemics that are widely becoming a concern for the population, such as obesity and alcohol addiction.
Security Protection
Sometimes, freedom of speech threatens the security of a person or a place because of the fine details that the media may provide. As information is, somehow, limited, threats can be lessened and people are informed of things when they should be, so panic and chaos does not ensue.
Control The Hate
By controlling the media, you can also control racist, prejudice, or untrue slandering of certain people. This may include religions, races, other countries, and companies.
Cons of Media Censorship
Keep The Ignorant, Ignorant
If the government is in control of what people are allowed to tune into, things that expose corruption within that government, could not be viewed. This is an effective way to exploit and damage the people of a country.
Violation of The First Amendment
Freedom of speech and press is the first amendment for a reason. It is what America was formed around. Implementing an excessive amount of censorship within the media directly infringes on this basic right of the people.
Ulterior Motives
Placing the government in charge of what can be shown on the media can be a very slippery slope. Since many politicians are aligned with companies and brands, they may only allow these types of brand to advertise. They may also not allow anything negative to come out about themselves or these brands, no matter how true they are.
Should You Be Supporting Media Censorship or Not
The media is a lot like nuclear weapons. If used properly, they can greatly benefit society. However, if they are used in negative ways, they can destroy it. In a world where media reigns supreme and information spreads like wildfires, it certainly is not a bad thing to limit and monitor the types of things being spread.
